


RobStar Week 2020

by Nightglider124



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, RobStar Week, Romance, oneshots, otp, prompts, teen titans animated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25201585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightglider124/pseuds/Nightglider124
Summary: My collection of posts from this years RobStar week! Drabbles for it, as such. Kudos/Comments are appreciated! ^.^
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, RobStar - Relationship, Robin/Starfire
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Star-Aligned/Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Tis RobStar Week, guysss! Ugh. Yas. That means content for the week of my two disgustingly adorable children. We love to see it.
> 
> I do believe it runs from 5th July - 11th July so check the robstarweek tag each day for some robstar joy :3
> 
> So, I haven't written anything really for a while. Especially not based in the TTA universe. But, I'm mildly happy with this one. In theory, it doesn't actually have much of the kids but it has Robin talking bout his crush with Wally.
> 
> Confession... I don't love the prompt of destiny/fate/star-aligned... all of that. Idk why cos like in essence I believe it. My babies are destined for each other. Buuut, as a prompt, I just never am a fan. So, I tried my best, I swear! XD
> 
> This oneshot is set after 'Titans Together' but before the movie, 'Trouble In Tokyo'.
> 
> Uh, I know Robin talks about when Starfire kissed him and I know that he doesn't discover that she learns languages through lip contact until the movie but like... c'mon. Robin is a smart guy and would have thought about it in the time since they first met. I don't think he would bring it up cos he awks but I think he would put two and two together. So, when it's mentioned, he is just kinda speculating and then it's confirmed in the movie. That's how I'm viewing it anyway. XD
> 
> Hope you like it. Happy RobStar week! ^.^
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. Obvs.

**Day 1 - Star Aligned/Destiny**

The upbeat music drifted and pounded around the whole tower, with the epicenter of the noise coming from the main room, which was fairly packed with Titans from all across the globe, enjoying their Friday night.

It had been about a week since they'd taken down the Brotherhood of Evil and put all the criminals that had been affiliated back in their rightful places within penitentiaries across the world. The ordeal had been difficult on each and every one of the Titans and it had taken a lot of time and energy to ensure that the threat was dealt with and the Brotherhood were dismantled for good.

So, when Beast Boy and Cyborg had approached him about having a party to relax and say thanks to the whole Titans Network for their help in defeating the long standing villains, Robin had been reluctant to say no. He felt that a little fun was well deserved and decided it wasn't often that they all let loose and just got to act like normal young adults, even if it _was_ only for one night.

He felt good as he sat at the counter, dressed in civvies for the first time in a long time, with a glass of cold soda tantalizing his lips. He knew that some of the boys had snuck in a bit of alcohol and since all of the Titans were technically 18 and over, they were legally allowed to drink in private locations, according to Jump City law. So, he was letting it slide, but that didn't mean he was about to consume it himself. Robin was all for unwinding but… he still had his wits about him, _just_ in case any alerts came through.

Of course, in the morning, there were a few individuals who he wanted a word with regarding _how_ they purchased the alcohol but he resigned himself to waiting until tomorrow, rather than putting his leader head on right now.

Robin cocked a small smile as he scanned the room from behind the safety net of his mask. He may well have been in casual clothing but the mask always stayed put; an unkickable habit of his, he mused.

Cyborg was over by the sound system, setting up playlists upon playlists with Bumblebee at his side, helping to sort through the music. He could see from where he was perched, every time she saw a song that she clearly didn't like, she would delete it from the playlist when Cyborg wasn't looking. It'd provided Robin a good few laughs throughout the night to see his cybernetic friend become confused, scratching his head and wondering if he had had too much to drink, despite only really having about one beer.

Beast Boy was lounging on the sofa, game station controller in hand; his gleeful chuckle echoing every now and then as he challenged those around him to a racing game that he'd practically lived on for the better part of the past year. Herald, Hot Spot and Killowat were huddled around him, each trying to gain the upper hand on the changeling who had won the 4 games prior to the current round.

Robin turned his head, noticing Red Star was talking with Aqualad, Pantha and Argent over near the windows with all of them holding a beverage each and laughing, getting to know one another better since they were all teammates and they'd never really had a chance to interact with one another until now. Robin saw tonight as a good opportunity for the Titans Network to get a little more acquainted with one another so that they had a good roster of friends and colleagues for future events and missions, if necessary.

Directly ahead of him, Gnarrk and Wildebeest were sat at the table, conducting an arm wrestle to see who had the superior strength with smirks so smug that Robin could feel the bravado permeating the air around them. Kole was standing by her best friend's side, offering quiet encouragement; believing in his abilities wholeheartedly. She smiled as Jericho turned to her, seemingly signing to her, his faith in Gnarrk to win as well; a gesture that made Kole turn a rosy pink and Robin couldn't help but wonder if there was a bit of a connection brewing between the two.

Behind Wildebeest, Thunder and Lightning were cheering loudly, waving their hands and hooting in favour of the humanoid chimera who simply grunted in acknowledgement of their vocal support.

Robin chuckled quietly to himself and took a sip of his drink, minutely shaking his head as he inwardly wagered on who he thought was more likely to come out on top of said arm wrestle.

In the right hand corner of the room, Robin could see Jinx who looked less than thrilled as she was effectively sandwiched between Kid Flash and Mas Y Menos who were, by the looks of it, having a lengthy debate about who had the faster abilities.

Scrunching his face up, Robin took a moment to consider how that conversation was going considering he knew for a fact Wally didn't know much Spanish, if any at all.

He shook his head and his eyes travelled over Speedy and Bushido who seemed to be talking and sharing fighting tips, with Speedy making gestures with his hands to explain the types of arrows he used when he battled.

Robin sighed in content, happy for the warm atmosphere surrounding them all. When he'd first started recruiting the people in the room to be a part of their hero network, he hadn't even considered what it would mean for them to gel together but every single Titan in the tower had proved that they could work effectively with one another, without really even knowing much about those around them.

He was proud of his teammates and friends and he felt confident that if more threats on a larger scale were to ever crop up in the near future, then they would be prepared and ready with a strong force in place.

Tapping his fingertips against the side of his glass, a lingering silver laugh caused him to pause; a tingle descending down his spine with a simultaneous heat prickling his skin. He lifted his head and his gaze inadvertently fell upon Starfire who was sitting on the back of the sofa, her long legs dangling down with her ankles crossed over one another.

Her hands were clasped and in her lap as she talked animatedly with Raven, who in turn, was responding in her usual way of nods and small smiles, only speaking here and there.

Robin gripped his glass a little tighter as he watched the alien Princess shrug her gorgeous mane of ruby hair over her shoulder, pooling down the length of her back.

It had been futile to try and ignore how she looked tonight with Robin deciding how well Earth clothing suited her. She wore a lilac playsuit with a white floral pattern printed all over the fabric. The spaghetti straps of the garment fell perfectly on her shoulders with the rest of it hugging her body comfortably without being too tight or loose enough not to flatter her.

Although, Robin rebuffed that thought immediately. She could wear a trash bag and she'd still make it look amazing.

It was a short faux dress outfit but it was far from distasteful considering it was longer than her day to day uniform. The light frills at the hem were a nice touch, giving the illusion of it being a dress when in fact it wasn't.

All in all, Robin had a tough time keeping his eyes off of her and it had been that way since the party started earlier in the evening.

He exhaled quietly to himself as he lost in himself in a momentary trance, with Starfire being the pinnacle of it all. Every single thing she did was endearing and he finally understood what people meant whenever they would compare a person to that of sunlight.

Starfire was the epitome of a ray of sunshine; constantly smiling and being her bubbly self, no matter who she was around. She could be around the grouchiest person in the universe and she'd still be able to coax a grin from them, without so much as even trying to.

She was just so naturally inviting; like moths to a flame, Starfire was a friend to all and he could honestly admit that he had never met someone as kind and carefree as her which in his eyes was what made her so unique within their world of heroes.

Robin stared after her, watching the way her jade eyes would shimmer whenever Raven said something remotely funny or something that Starfire could relate to. Her orange skin seemed to glow with every thousand watt smile that found its way onto her cupid bow lips.

Just beneath his ribcage, Robin felt his heart rate start to increase; a quiet thumping of his chest, the longer he stared after her.

Swallowing heavily, Robin averted his eyes, instead choosing to stare down at his bubbling soda. Despite this, his mind remained rooted on the one thing in the room he took the most interest in. He couldn't help but inwardly dwell on his feelings for the Tamaranean girl, no matter how hard he had tried over the years to refuse and deny what his heart had been singing all along, since she first crash landed on the planet they called home.

It was a constant struggle for him; trying to figure out if it would be worth the risk or if he should remain stoic and unfeeling like another vigilante he was familiar with.

A sudden gust of wind enveloped him, causing his hair to rapidly fly out of place. Staying still, Robin merely sighed and blinked in annoyance, already aware of who was now leaning against the counter beside him.

"Wally…" Robin muttered, reaching a hand up to sort his hair out, casting a scowl in the speedster's direction.

Kid Flash chuckled and pulled up a seat beside him and nudged his shoulder, "Hey Dick."

"Do you have to do that every single time?"

"Duh. Think of it as… a privilege of being best friends."

"Pretty lousy privilege."

He made a 'psh' sound and gave him another shove, "You get what ya get."

"Uh huh." Robin replied, leaning forward to take a swig of his drink, feeling the cold liquid slither down his throat. Despite his best efforts to stay inconspicuous, he was unable to stop himself from stealing another glance at Starfire who had moved from her spot on the back of the couch with Raven.

She was giggling with Bumblebee and Argent, swaying her hips and dancing to the music that was swirling in the air; a catchy beat that seemed to be luring quite a few Titans into dancing now.

He could feel his face heating up as he registered that Wally was staring at him with a teasing smirk laced upon his lips. He cut him a scathing look and attempted his best batglare, making Wally snort.

"C'mon. When has that look _ever_ worked to make me stop?" He laughed, taking a gulp of the beer he was holding,

Robin took a deep breath, awaiting the onslaught of jabs. He'd known Wally for most of his life, ever since he'd gotten adopted by Bruce on account of his links with the league.

It'd taken just one encounter with the redhead on a visit to the watchtower and they'd been inseparable.

Of course, that changed somewhat after he left Gotham; the communication dropping with Robin being more so to blame, after effectively shutting those around him out.

It picked up again though, once he had become more established with the Titans, going as far to offer him a spot on the team. Wally had declined at first, unsure how he felt about being with a team but after a while, he came around.

It helped that he happened to run into Jinx whilst he was still mulling over the decision.

Robin sighed and half turned his body towards him, "What are you doing over here?"

"Just wanting to catch up with my bud… obviously." Wally replied, trying to appear aloof but failing miserably,

Leaning back, Robin spied Jinx still standing where Wally had been beforehand, staring at the twins in bewilderment as they babbled to her in Spanish.

"You know, you've basically abandoned Jinx." Robin muttered,

There was a mischievous glint in his lime eyes as he waved a dismissive hand, "Bah, she's fine. She needs to socialise with good guys more anyway. Needs to build on her newfound hero ways."

Robin shrugged and tilted his chin downwards, eyes on the countertop to avoid any more fleeting glances at anyone in particular.

"So…" Wally drawled, in _that_ tone.

Sighing heavily, Robin looked up at him, " _What_?"

"Star's looking hot tonight." He taunted and it took everything Robin had not to react in the way Wally clearly wanted him to,

"Mhm. She looks great." Robin mumbled, not really in the mood for this kind of conversation. He _had_ been feeling pretty mellow but he could sense that slipping away and being sent spiralling into the mess of emotions he experienced from time to time where Starfire was concerned.

"Dick… c'mon." Wally persisted, levelling with him, "Your crush on her isn't exactly subtle."

"Well… _she_ doesn't know so it seems to be working so far."

Wally snorted, "To practically everyone else, it's obvious that _something_ is going on."

Dick took a deep inhale and gripped his glass with both hands, preparing himself for more of Wally's insistence, "Well, there's _not_. Sorry to disappoint."

"Dude." He paused and leaned into him, his tone shifting into a more sincere one, "Maybe there _would_ be something if… y'know… you made a move on the ol' Princess?"

Whilst it was in his nature to deflect anything to do with feelings; especially romantic ones, at all costs, there was something gnawing at him; encouraging him to open up a bit. It _was_ Wally, after all.

"I can't." Dick sighed, loosening the grip of his fingers around the glass,

"Sure you can. Just get up, go over there and ask her to dance or… I don't know, smooth talk her." Wally suggested,

"No… I mean… I can't. I'm the leader of the Titans… Bruce always taught me not to get involved that way with a teammate. It causes rifts in team dynamics and-"

Wally cut him off with a scoff, "Who cares? If you feel that way about her, which you obviously do, you deal with those kinds of things and work it out as you go along."

Dick sighed for what felt like the hundredth time in the past 10 minutes, "It doesn't matter."

Sensing that he was retreating into himself again, Wally tried an alternate route, "You know… with all the doe eyes you make at her, you never told me how you actually met."

Without really even being aware of it, a soft smile graced Dick's lips, "Uh… I'd just got to Jump and was dealing with this thief and saw this… streak of green across the sky. I went to check it out and turns out, she'd quite literally crash landed to Earth."

"That must've been so cool, man." Wally laughed,

Dick inclined his head a little, "It was… _different_ to anything I'd had in Gotham."

"Yeah, but Starfire is… sweetness and joy."

The ebony haired hero chuckled to himself, "Uh… not at first. She…" He paused and glanced at her, gauging just how much he should leave out about where she came from on that day, "She was… being held prisoner by these aliens… Gordanians are what they were called. Long running warfare between them and Tamaran and… a few other planets."

"Prisoner?" Wally queried, clearly vying for more information,

"Let's just say… she was forced from her world and it… wasn't because of any crimes."

Wally stared at him for a long moment before something softened in his expression and he nodded, "So… what was she like?"

"As you can imagine… she didn't trust any of us. Hissing and seething and blowing shit up."

"Badass." Wally grinned,

Dick chuckled, "Yeah… she didn't know English either so… couldn't exactly explain to her that we just wanted her to stop."

"How'd she get so fluent in the language then?"

His cheeks turned red almost instantly and he cleared his throat, willing the blush to dim until it vanished, "Her people can learn languages instantaneously through uh… lip contact. I think."

"You think?"

"Well… after she… did it… um… she spoke English… so I just assume…"

Wally blinked in surprise, "Wow. That's a useful trait-" He cut himself short as he recognized the discomfort on his best friend's face, "Oh my god. She learned it from you, didn't she? You got a kiss from her on the first day you met her!"

Dick snapped his head in Wally's direction, "Can you shut up, please? We've… never talked about it. Kissing isn't a thing on her world… and I never brought it up."

"She knows what 'lip contact' means on Earth though, right?"

"She knows now… I mean she must know, considering how many romance movies we've sat through on movie nights." Dick shook his head, "Like I said… we've never talked about it so… I don't know what she thinks on that front."

Wally chuckled, "No wonder you've been smitten with her since day one. I would be too if a hot space girl kissed me in the middle of telling her to stop ripping a city apart."

Dick was about to protest, but relaxed and smirked, "Yeah… well… she made an impression, to say the least."

"Sounds like… Mm… I don't know."

"What?" Dick prompted,

"You'll just wave it off but… I mean… maybe it was meant to be."

"What are you talking about?"

"People who are meant to be in your life don't just fall out of the sky on a day to day basis, Dick." Wally droned, looking at him like he was an idiot,

The Boy Wonder chewed on the inside of his cheek; his mind a bubble of thought, "It's… not the craziest thing." He paused and looked at her again, still dancing around without a care in the world, "She brought us together… we know for a fact… she's the glue that keeps us together; the heart of our team… without her… we wouldn't last."

"See? That, my friend, is fate." Wally surmised,

"I don't know about that, Wally. It… just so happened we were all in the area at the same time." Dick rebuffed,

"Listen… whether you want to admit it or not… don't you think it seems a little too coincidental that you all met Starfire on this one day and it basically set out your futures for the next few years at the least?" Wally asked, raising an eyebrow at him,

"Okay, fine. Let's say that it is… fate or whatever… are you saying that the same applies to how I feel about her?" He challenged,

Wally scoffed and flailed his hands around slightly, "Duh! I'm telling you, there is no way that you 'just so happened' to meet Starfire and your team, start a network of teenage heroes that extends across the world and end up falling for the one who caused this… cataclysm… just by chance. It just doesn't happen."

Remaining silent, Dick felt the urge to mock him ebbing away, the more he tried to reason with him.

He was probably the furthest thing from a believer when it came to things such as fate and destiny, having turned cynical shortly after his parents were murdered.

By Wally's logic, everything in life happened for a reason, with the goal of eventually fulfilling the path set out in stone for you when you're first brought into existence.

"Wally…"

"The universe didn't exactly have you meet her to just be 'best friends' for your whole life. You wouldn't stare at her or think about her or _want_ her the way you do, if it wasn't supposed to happen dude."

Dick blinked, "This is the most philosophical way of telling me to make a move that you have ever used."

Bursting into laughter, Wally lifted his shoulders and smiled, "Yeah, you're probably right. But you know what I'm saying, at least on some level, makes sense."

The Titans leader evaded admitting something like that, "Mm… what I _know_ is that you're only spewing destiny related stuff because of one beer too many."

Wally looked scandalised for a long moment before he shrugged, "Okay, I might be a _tad_ tipsy but it's still relevant, Dick." He sighed and threw an arm haphazardly around his best friend's shoulders, "I'm trying to push you… for you. Whether you wanna believe me when I say it's some kinda fate or not, the fact is… you can't expect her to wait forever."

Tugging himself away, Dick pulled a sour expression and turned to him, "And what if I do and it blows up in my face, huh? What if I go over there and ask her out and she says no?" He deflated and looked down at the countertop, "I doubt she sees me that way anyway so what's the point?"

Chuckling almost instantly, Wally rolled his eyes and looked at Dick with a raised brow, "Seriously? Dude, I'm not even on your immediate team and I can see that she likes you just as much as you like her."

Dick cleared his throat, his cheeks turning pink on their own accord, "You don't know that for sure."

"Okay well, it comes across pretty clearly except to you, apparently." Wally paused, "Besides, aren't you basically our biggest risk taker? You love that whole thrill of not knowing."

Dick grunted, "Not on this kind of thing."

"Right, right because it makes you all vulnerable and junk." Wally drawled, earning another glare from the masked hero but choosing to ignore it, "Dick… I can't make you do anything you don't want to. I don't think anyone can since you're stubborn as hell. But… just remember… Starfire is beautiful and super sweet. You're not the only guy in this hero network that thinks so… and if you don't move your ass and at least make it known to her you're interested… you might lose your chance altogether."

Opening his mouth to protest, Dick was cut short from doing so as Wally lightly nudged his shoulder and stared pointedly across the room, waiting for Dick to follow his line of sight as well.

Over near the large glass window panels, Starfire was standing, looking happily flushed from all the activity buzzing around her; something she constantly thrived on whenever parties were in full swing. Her smile was soft and patient as she bobbed her head, laughing at what was being said to her.

Dick felt his stomach lurch and his heart started pounding painfully within his chest as he noticed who was standing alongside her. Speedy was grinning at her, talking and making jokes about god knows what. He watched as the archer took a step towards her and gently touched her arm.

Starfire appeared unbothered by the gestures but it greatly unnerved Dick, considering he could tell from Speedy's posture that he was attempting to 'woo' her.

He bolted up from the stool he'd been sitting on at the counter, his fingertips pressing against the surface of it so hard, they were turning white. He could feel his chest constricting as his breathing turned harsh, an odd type of panic overtaking him.

"Hm… strange reaction for someone who doesn't have feelings for her…" Wally murmured sarcastically before taking a long sip of his beer,

Narrowing his eyes, Dick turned to scowl at him, "How long has he been talking to her?"

"Only about 2 minutes. Though… he sure looks like he's getting comfy with your girl there…"

Taking a deep breath, Dick let his hand slide off of the counter and he cleared his throat. He felt nervous but there was a knee jerk reaction in him that was yelling to get over there and interrupt Speedy's attempts at romancing his best friend.

His gaze fell on Starfire who seemed oblivious to the obvious signals Speedy was sending towards her. Dick cocked a half smile, glad that she wasn't playing into it. It gave him a rise of hope that maybe she wasn't responding like a typical girl because she already had feelings for another guy that was possibly him. Maybe.

"What… what should I do when I get over there?" Dick queried, suddenly feeling the confidence drain from him,

"I don't know. Ask her to dance?" Wally smiled sympathetically at him, "Dick… it's Starfire. Isn't she like… the one who makes you feel the most at ease?"

Dick swiveled his head back towards the auburn haired beauty, "She is."

"Then it'll be fine once you get over there." Wally encouraged, tipping his beer bottle in his direction,

Nodding, Dick offered him a slight smile, "Thanks… Wally."

"You know me, man. I'm a man of loveee."

Dick sighed, "And there's the idiot."

With that, he picked up his soda and made his way through the strings of Titans as casually as he could, without appearing as though he was desperately wanting to get between that tiny space that was still between Speedy and Starfire.

Watching through bright eyes, Wally smiled to himself as Dick reached the two. Speedy looked to be quite put out about his appearance but the speedster wasn't paying much attention to him.

Rather, all he could see was the way Starfire lit up at Robin's emergence. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, her emerald eyes shining with joy as she clasped her hands around his upper arm in an exuberant greeting.

In return, Dick grinned back at her, talking with ease and a relaxed aura about him. Speedy looked effectively closed off and shut down, which if it were any other girl, Wally would feel pretty bad for him.

But, he knew how long Dick had had a thing for the alien Princess. He just hoped he would actually get it together and do something about it before it was too late.

"Well done, Grayson." Wally chuckled to himself, before taking another sip of his drink and scanning the room for a certain pink haired sorceress.


	2. Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Oof, I don't actually like this one. Which... it's a shame cos I was excited to write this and it's an idea I wanted to do for ages but decided to use it for this years robstarweek.
> 
> This is an... alternate cave scene from the episode 'Stranded'.
> 
> Idk... I botched it lmao. I am... my writing skills have honestly gone down the pan, ngl.
> 
> BLEH WHATEVER. Enough of the negativity.
> 
> Oh! Also, quick note. I will be uploading these oneshots to Tumblr before here at around 5pm each day, in case you follow me there and wanna read my stuff earlier.
> 
> Hope you guys at least take some joy from this one. Hopefully I will do better than I have with the first two prompts for this week.

**Day 2 - Warmth**

Robin sucked in a deep breath as he reached up and snapped off a wayward branch that seemed to have snuck through the cracks of the cave they had taken shelter in. It had been a bit of a challenge to find wood of all things on this strange planet at first but after some time, the two of them had managed to get a small fire going.

His heart was still pounding from what had happened. The last thing he expected was for the ground to shake and give out beneath their feet as they attempted to find the others. Robin was more than ready to find the missing members of his team, head home and put as much distance between them and this death trap of a planet as he could.

Pausing before he walked back over to the small fire, he chanced a glance over his shoulder at Starfire. Ever since they had plummeted into an inky abyss, she had been mysteriously and uncharacteristically quiet.

She was sitting on a log that was on one side of the flames, her arms wrapped around her shoulders, as if shielding herself from harm. It was a first to see Starfire practically retreating in on herself and barely speaking to him.

He could feel the anxious knot in his chest, tighten suddenly as he dwelled on their situation and the conversation they had been having just before the cliffs collapsed.

The whole mission had been a complete train wreck. He wished, more than anything, he could go back to that space station they'd arrived at, defeated the screaming monster with her and then ushered Cyborg out before he could tease anything at all.

Robin furrowed his brows beneath his mask as he remembered the memory from earlier that day. He was so stupid for reacting like that. In reality, she _wasn't_ his girlfriend. She was his friend who was a girl but… romantically? He didn't think they had breached that recently or at least, it wasn't made clear to him if they had moved forward like that.

It was true that there was some underlying connection; something that drew them to one another but they'd never taken the time to discuss it or broach the subject before. With him being practically allergic to any conversation pertaining emotions, he had always shut them down or avoided those types of conversations with her before they even had a chance of starting.

It wasn't like he _didn't_ want that kind of relationship with her because he did. He'd thought about it and imagined what it would be like, many times since he had first met her. Robin wondered all sorts of things in regards to if they were to take their relationship further, into unknown territory.

But, in truth, it scared him. He didn't know what he would have to expect and didn't know if they would last, despite hoping they would.

There was this weight hanging on his heart now, just holding him down and denying him any of the confidence he usually had. She had been off with him ever since they had found one another which, after some probing and careful tiptoeing, he had realized that she was still angry and a little confused about what he had said.

It was obvious that it had been going through her mind and she had started thinking about it on a deeper level, despite his words being more of a defensive response to Cyborg's jabs, than anything else.

_God, he couldn't wait to give Cyborg double training when they eventually got home._

He inwardly scolded himself for not giving her credit where the English language was concerned. At first, he thought she was confused over the wording but after some time, he learned that she knew full well what Cyborg meant by his word choice.

She was upset because he seemed so flippant and dismissive of it altogether.

Robin closed his eyes for a moment and tried to organize his scattered mind. There was a plethora of thoughts racing through his brain, including finding the others, hoping they wouldn't run into any other weird beast like creatures as well as getting off of this crumbling planet as soon as possible.

But, sitting at the forefront of all of that, was Starfire. He was concerned about her and their friendship too. Back when they had started falling, she had been unable to tap into her flight and it had utterly terrified him when she had yelled that she couldn't fly.

It had never happened before.

Starfire had always been solid in terms of relying on her powers and she'd never faltered in the slightest in any battle they had had since they'd first banded together as a team.

On the flip side, he wanted to know if _they_ were okay. One of the main reasons he had always steered away from admitting to any romantic feelings towards her was because he didn't want their friendship to change because of any harboured emotions.

He bowed his head and opened his eyes again, allowing the hand that was resting against the cave wall to slide down the jagged surface until it fell away to his side.

Swallowing sharply, he shook his head and turned around, wandering back towards their makeshift safe spot.

His heart was beating a mile a minute as he reached her, throwing the branch into the flames and watching as she shifted away slightly so that her back faced him a little more.

Robin frowned and slowly sat on the opposite side of the wooden log, "Starfire…" He murmured, his tone soft, "What happened back there? Why couldn't you fly?"

He heard her sniffle quietly before she turned to gaze at the fire, her expression telling of what she was feeling. She looked tired and frustrated; upset that she had had no real answers to her questions since the explosion back at the space station.

"Tamaranean powers are inclined by our emotions…" She admitted, her eyes lacking the electric spark they usually had.

"So the way you feel affects your ability to fly."

Starfire nodded solemnly, her emerald orbs shifting with uncertainty, "And right now, I feel unfamiliar confusion."

"But… we've faced danger before without your powers failing." Robin pointed out, a sudden heat consuming the back of his neck as he sensed it wasn't exactly that, that was the problem,

Starfire sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest, her feet resting on the log as she turned her head away to the dark side of the rocky cavern.

"It is not danger that confuses me, Robin. It is you." She confessed, opening her eyes and staring directly at him, "I do not understand… _us_."

Robin felt his throat run dry and he fought not to visibly react to that, despite his heart feeling like it was about to burst out of his chest with the anxiety that came hand in hand with these types of discussions. He pulled an awkward expression, without even realising it, as the inferno creeping up the back of his ears intensified and he knew it was only a matter of time before the blush spread to his cheeks.

"Ever since Cyborg said… the 'girlfriend'... things are different between us." She continued, tilting her head a fraction,

Reverting back to what he thought might work, Robin forced a smile onto his face and held a hand up to stall her words, "It's... just a misunderstanding..." He explained, "Everything's okay."

He tried to brush it off and act as though things were absolutely fine when he knew, deep down, they were not and this wasn't something that Starfire was going to simply let go without talking about.

And… maybe that was a good thing. Possibly.

Starfire rebuffed this and got up from where she had been perched, "Everything is not okay."

She moved away from him, once again turning her back on him as she shuffled into the shadows of the cave. He frowned, hating the air of sadness that was tainting her voice every time she spoke.

He more so hated the fact that he was the cause for said sadness.

"We are not okay. I fear we will never be okay again and you will not tell me how you feel." She whimpered, trying to detach from him by standing so far out of reach.

Robin stood as well, clearing his throat and tugging at the collar of his cape as he crossed some of the distance between them, "Uh… I'm not… very good at that."

It was the truth. He supposed he should probably be honest with her about how difficult he found situations like these. Despite not wanting to talk about feelings at the risk of making himself vulnerable, he realized it was _Starfire_ and if anyone deserved some kind of answer to the way he acted, it was her.

Starfire sniffled again and slowly half turned towards him, her expression one of discouragement, "Do Earth boys come with… some kind of manual then?"

He was powerless to stop the soft smile that graced his lips at that, once again acknowledging how endearing and sweet she was, without even realizing it herself.

Robin breathed a laugh, "That would make things easier."

She spun on her heel and strode back over to him, keeping her distance by remaining on the other side of the scorching blaze. Her eyes bored into him, silently pleading with him to offer something up, just to satisfy her doubts in some way, "How am I to know what you think about me?"

Robin sucked in an exasperated breath, having not been prepared for this at all and knowing, if he were to try and explain to her what he felt or even, what he liked about her, he'd become a babbling mess.

"Starfire…" He sighed, practically his whole upper body slumping as defeat started to consume him.

There were so many things that he liked about her. In fact, it was probably a shorter list to tell her what he _didn't_ like and that was extremely barren.

He loved how carefree and bubbly she was and how even the simplest things on Earth were things she found utterly fascinating whilst the average human wouldn't even bat an eyelid.

He loved how caring and sweet she was with everyone around her. Whether they were friend or foe, she constantly tried to see the positive and the good in individuals who, most of the time, didn't even deserve it.

He loved how intelligent and strong she was, being able to handle herself in practically every situation she found herself in. Her powers were just an extension of her warrior self, fully capable in the art of combat, should the need ever arise.

Robin blinked to himself as reason after reason sailed through his head, her question having stayed with him for so long, he suddenly realized that he hadn't replied to her at all. He cleared his throat and ignored the way his face was now roasting with embarrassment,

He wasn't sure he could say any of that to her and rather do what he most likely should have done and told her what he thought about her, Robin simply flapped his mouth open and closed, again and again like a fish gasping for breath.

Starfire's demeanour slipped and whilst she had looked hopeful and excited to hear what he thought about her and their relationship status, it suddenly dwindled faster than water trickling down a drain.

Her eyes became dull and her shoulders lowered, casting a glance off to the side before she took a step away from the fire again,

Robin felt trapped; he didn't know what he could say to possibly salvage this. He had just been handed a silver platter of a chance, to clear things up between them but there was something in the pit of his stomach that simply refused to let him open up in such a way.

"It… It does not matter…" She whispered, her tone low, "I am... sorry for pushing you to speak about this and… it is clear to me that… Cyborg was wrong. I am not your girlfriend and I… should never have expected or assumed otherwise."

He could see her chest rising and falling a little faster than before and he took the smallest step forward, unsure if she was crying, her face being distorted by the dim lighting being cast around the cave.

Robin swallowed the mountain in his throat, panic and regret locking in his chest. He was already kicking himself for not saying anything, leaving her to stew in her own insecurities in relation to him and how he felt about her.

There was a frantic aura, flaring in his head like alarm bells. He wanted to take it back, redo the whole conversation and set it straight that he thought she was beautiful, kind and amazing; just a few traits, beyond an entire list of other reasons why he was falling more in love with her every day since he met her.

"Star-" He croaked, reaching a hand out to her.

She stepped away and offered him the tiniest smile that spoke volumes of how she was truly feeling; the conversation not having gone at all how she hoped it would and it was all down to him for being an idiot and deflecting her.

He didn't blame her in the slightest. Starfire was a creature of emotions. Tamaraneans wore their hearts on their sleeves, being open with how they felt and what they thought which was a stark contrast to how most humans operated.

Starfire had often pointed out that humans constantly seemed to complicate matters with words and logic, rather than just riding out circumstances with their hearts.

"There is a storm coming." Starfire blurted, briefly eyeing the darkening sky through the small gap in the side of the cave; a sure fire exit once it was safe.

Blinking, Robin inclined his head to catch a glimpse of the outside. The sky was full of dark clouds, with an amber shade drenching the entirety beyond it. He continued to stare out until he saw a flash in the distance, illuminating the clouds before it faded out.

Soon enough, dust and sand began to swirl as the wind picked up and howled outside. He considered asking Starfire if it was a sandstorm, since she would be more familiar with the types of storms that happen in space, but ultimately decided against it since it wasn't the most appropriate time.

"I believe we should rest and try to find our friends once it is safe outside." She suggested, tentatively pushing some of her auburn hair behind her ear, "Who knows? Perhaps they will find us, instead."

Robin watched in silence as she moved around their little campsite and he wished he could grapple for something to say.

"We probably shouldn't sleep… we don't uh… we don't know if there are more things like that slug…" He murmured as he crouched down, trying his best to respect her wishes to be on the whole other side of the fire from him.

Starfire nodded, "We do not necessarily need to sleep. If you would prefer to stay awake…"

He watched as she lowered herself to the ground, brushing at the dirt before she laid her head down, turning away without saying anything at all. Robin frowned and felt an empty bubble in his stomach; a hollow guilt and he wanted to apologise to her and make things better but… he really didn't know how.

How could he possibly make it better after practically avoiding her questions and her frustrations all day?

Robin exhaled quietly and tried to ignore the painful thuds in his chest as he laid down on the hard dusty concrete. He threaded his gloved fingers together on top of his ribs and chewed on his lower lip as he delved deeper into his chasm of worries.

Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind whistled through the entire cave, setting the overall temperature down to a bitter coldness. Robin flinched and tugged the edges of his cape around the exposed parts of his arms that weren't covered by his uniform, struggling not to jerk at the bite that the cold offered.

He cautiously glanced over at Starfire, noticing that the fire was really brawling with the winds in order to stay alive. She had barely moved, as if not even noticing how chilly the air around them had become.

Robin inclined his head, trying to suppress the shivers that were wracking his body as he peered out of the small opening of the cave, only to see blustering dust particles so thick that he could no longer see the cliffs outside.

His breath came out shakily as he shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut beneath his mask, surprised at how quickly his body temperature had dropped. His teeth started to chatter as a deep iciness started creeping along his skin.

"Robin?" Starfire murmured, and he could partially hear her shuffling and turning back in his direction,

He kept his eyes closed, trying his best to block out the cold by pulling his cape even tighter around his body. All he could hear was the crackle of the fire and the billowing wind outside.

Suddenly, he felt a weight drop down beside him and his eyes snapped open, his head swivelling to see Starfire making herself comfortable beside him. She stared down at him with concern in her expression but he was baffled by how calm and unaffected she was by the blizzard frost in the air.

"H-How are you… able to deal with the cold?" He stammered, watching as she scooted closer, gently pushing him towards the fire to warm him back up.

"My people are most resilient, especially to low temperatures. You forget… I am from space." She told him, a wry smile gracing her lips.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"You are freezing, Robin. My body heat runs much higher than humans and I believe I can help." She replied, laying down beside him and bringing her arms around his torso, rubbing her palms against his exposed areas of skin.

The heat was practically instantaneous. Warmth spread across the planes of his skin like wildfire; everywhere she touched was ignited with fire and he momentarily wondered if she was adding her powers to it for maximum exposure.

Robin exhaled, his jaw aching from where it had been chattering uncontrollable merely 2 minutes beforehand.

His shoulders dropped and he relaxed as the cold seeped away from him, thanks to the alien Princess who was effectively just holding him now.

"Robin? Are you okay?" She asked, beginning to pull away.

He grabbed onto her hands and pressed them against his chest again, with his back still facing her.

"Don't… I… it's still really cold." He admitted, feeling a blush slip across his cheeks.

"Okay."

They dipped into silence again as they laid there, with only the wind howling outside filling the space. Robin couldn't deny that being this close to her was nice, especially since they hadn't really been on great speaking terms since he messed up.

He could feel something building inside of him and decided that now would be the only other chance he had to try and explain himself to her and apologise for the confusion he had caused her.

"Hey… Star?" He murmured,

"Yes?"

Robin turned over so that he was facing her, despite the blush that was likely still painted across his cheeks, "I… I wanted to say sorry."

Starfire blinked but lowered her chin, her gaze dropping to the small patch of dirt between them, "Robin…"

"Really… I… I don't know why I reacted like I did when Cyborg… said what he said." Robin muttered, furrowing his brows as he recalled it in his mind,

"I am not your girlfriend… I understand now what was meant." She whispered, taking solace in just forgetting it,

"Star… I'm not the best at talking about feelings… I was never taught that and… I'm just not good at it." He admitted,

"Robin… it is fine. Truly."

"I wouldn't mind it… you know." He blurted, his face turning a crimson tone and he couldn't look directly at her.

Starfire blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what he had just said to her, "What?"

"Having… a 'friend who is a girl' as you put it." He elaborated, smiling slightly as he repeated her own words,

She softly smiled back, "Truly?"

"I… think I'd need to get used to the idea of it… but… yeah." He paused and decided to go all the way considering he was already opening himself up considerably, "And… as for what I think about you… I think… it's uh… awesome the way you shoot starbolts?"

Starfire brightened at that and tilted her head, "Yes? And?"

"And uh… it's also cool that you're brave and the strongest girl ever."

"And… you do not mind having a friend who is a girl?" Starfire checked, visibly a lot more pleased with his communication,

Robin sat up and gently pulled her up with him and smiled back at her, opening his mouth to reply but was cut short by a loud rumbling from behind them.

As they spun to investigate the sound, the wall shook and crumbled, collapsing to reveal the screaming monster that had apparently followed them to this wasteland of a world.

The couple gasped and jumped up as the monster growled, stalking towards them before it opened its mouth and let out a long, ear piercing shriek, preparing to attack.


	3. Tamaran

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, I actually liked writing this one. I think the reason I be hating on my oneshots so far is I'm in a weird emotional funk this week. Maybe it's menstrual. Who knows these days.
> 
> ANYWHO. This is set post-tokyo which I do so love because the children would be a lot more comfortable and chill with each other. I'm all for blushy kids but I do like writing them in an established relationship too.
> 
> I'm pretty sure I've written something with this kinda concept before but oh well XD.
> 
> This has yet to be properly proof-read but I'm sure it's fine for now.
> 
> Hope you guys like it!

**Day 3 - Tamaran**

A gentle sound of knuckles rapping against her bedroom door is what dragged Starfire's attention away from what she was doing, comfortably sat in the middle of her round bed with her legs crossed in a pretzel style.

She lifted her head, her long auburn hair cascading over her shoulder like a rouge waterfall. Her emerald orbs sparkled in the dying orange light of day, trickling through her large window, as it reflected off of the ocean below the tower.

Smiling brightly, Starfire straightened up and set her task aside for the moment, "Yes?"

"It's me."

Her face lit up at the voice beyond her door which belonged to none other than Robin. She beamed and threaded her fingers together, "Come in!"

With that, he quietly opened the door and poked his head through the gap. Smiling softly, he traipsed the rest of the way inside her personal space and closed the door behind him. Robin strode closer, tilting his head in curiosity as he drew nearer,

"Hey." He greeted, stooping down to where she was sitting to bestow a kiss to her cheek, "You've been in here for a while. Everything okay?"

She nodded, making room for him to take a seat on the edge of her bed; an offer which he accepted almost immediately.

"I am fine. I just wished for some of the 'quiet time' after our battle with Plasmus today." She replied, blowing air between her lips in exhaustion,

Robin chuckled and bobbed his head in agreement, "Yeah… fights with Plasmus… they're never good."

"I just wish it was not so… _messy_ every time."

He shrugged and winked in her direction, "Guess that's what happens when you fight a giant jello looking thing."

Starfire giggled and leaned forward so her chin rested atop of his shoulder, seeking some contact, no matter how small it was, "Are you alright?"

* * *

Robin leaned his head against hers, "Mhm. I just wanted to check in on you." He paused and tilted his chin downward in an attempt to catch her gaze, "Oh… and I wanted to ask if you were maybe up for heading out soon? I thought we could grab dinner in the city?"

"With our friends or…?" She trailed off, teasingly,

He laughed and pretended to consider, "Hmm… as fun as that sounds, I was actually thinking of it being just the two of us for once."

"Robin, are you asking me on a _date_?" Starfire asked in a mock tone of shock, as if such a thing was rare and unheard of.

He smirked and murmured against her cheek, "Mm… if you wanna label it… sure. It can be a date. Not sure how relevant it is though since you _are_ my girlfriend."

She hummed a happy note at that and pulled back, Robin half swiveling his body to watch her as she moved. He grinned at the way her eyes glinted with mischief and joy under the setting sunlight, basking her room in a summer glow.

"Well, I would love to." She said, her expression turning dreamlike,

"Good." He returned,

Starfire giggled and swung her legs over the side of her bed, getting up and wandering over to her vanity table, placed just beside her window.

She picked up her brush and quietly hummed to herself as she started dragging it through her locks, just to freshen up a little since they were venturing out to the city.

Robin exhaled noisily and flopped back on her bed, lacing his fingers together atop his chest, "So, what're you in the mood for for dinner?"

"Umm… I am happy with anything." Starfire answered, her tone nonchalant,

He grinned and turned his head towards her, "You know, it would be great if you would just choose something specific one of these times."

Starfire smirked at him in the reflection of the mirror, "Robin, between the two of us, you are the more fussy when it is in relation to food. I will simply eat whatever is offered."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He drawled playfully, causing her to laugh.

They dipped into a comfortable state of silence for a moment, with Starfire checking her appearance to ensure there was nothing that needed fixing before they left the tower.

"Hey Star?"

"Yes?"

"What's this?"

Starfire froze and spun around, already aware of what he was referring to since she had accidentally left it in the middle of her bed.

Robin held a purple journal between his fingers and wore a curious look on his face as he gently waved it at her,

"Uh…" She stammered, suddenly feeling embarrassed by it,

He tilted his head and smiled calmly, "I'm assuming a diary?"

She slowly nodded, realizing her cheeks were probably as red as tomatoes. She made her way back to the bed, murmuring, "You are... not going to read it?"

He frowned and his brows knitted together, "Course not. It's personal to you. I was just wondering, is all."

Starfire twiddled her fingers before she let her shoulders drop and she let go of the ball of anxiety that had formed in her stomach.

She came and sat beside him, right on the edge of the bed and retrieved it. She held it in her hands for a long moment, contemplating whether or not to share what it _actually_ was with Robin.

He placed a gentle hand on her thigh, followed by Robin inclining his head to look at her, "Star?"

"It is… not really a diary as such… it is a… book of memories." She admitted, chewing on her lower lip,

"Oh?"

"I… it is truly very silly-" She deflected, waving her hand dismissively,

"You? Silly? Never." Robin grinned, setting her at ease as best he could. He hoped that she knew he would never think that of something she held so dear and apparently cherished.

Starfire relaxed and smiled back at her boyfriend, before she took a breath and opened up the book to the middle pages.

Scooting closer to him, Starfire smiled shyly as Robin wrapped an arm loosely around her waist and peered over her shoulder at the journal.

"This is a book that I keep with things about Tamaran inside. There are recipes and festivals and memories… amongst many other things…" She told him quietly, allowing him to carefully turn the pages and scan all of her entries.

The paper was thin but well used, with recipe instructions for _'galseltoff'_ and _'zorkaberry_ _hutsenfal'_ amidst others, written in violet cursive across numerous pages.

Festivals of all kinds littered several pages, explaining when they took place and what they paid tribute to.

Traditions and values of Tamaranean culture were scribbled down in blue ink, with some facts about Tamaraean history circled in the corners of the pages; like little reminders.

There was a page with battle and fighting techniques that were native to Tamaran, along with weapon types and uses.

When he flipped another page, there was a whole list of Tamaranean words and phrases, with a few of them matched with the English equivalent, which Robin took particular interest in since he had previously mentioned to Starfire that he would like to learn some Tamaranean in the future.

There was one page further into the journal that listed more scientific things such as Tamaran's moon count, the planet's axis, the coordinates to get there through the solar system and even what stars could be seen only from Tamaran; ones that could not be spotted from Earth.

He whistled and shook his head in surprise, "Wow. Star, this is… how long have you been writing in this thing?"

"Um… since we returned from Tamaran after Blackfire attempted to force me into marriage…" Starfire answered, nervously twirling a strand of hair around her index finger.

"There's so much information here… I could probably do a crash course in understanding Tamaran from this alone." Robin chuckled,

Starfire smiled but tilted her head, "You… do not think it is… silly?"

"Why would I think that?"

The Princess shook her head and shrugged, twisting her fingers self consciously, "Well… I keep this journal to remind myself of Tamaran. I… write memories that I cherish or things that I miss or… things that I might forget."

Robin frowned and laced his fingers with hers, "Star, that doesn't make it silly. It's great that you don't want to forget where you come from."

She ducked her head and blushed, giving him a small smile, "I did not want any of you to find it and think that…" She bit her lip as she grappled for the best way to phrase herself, "that I do not love Earth when I am… so at home here."

"Of course. We know that." He paused and eyed her carefully, "Is… everything okay?"

"Yes!" She blurted before she took a breath and her expression faded ever so slightly, "I am… extremely happy here. I just… have been feeling the 'homesick' lately and have been missing Tamaran…"

She trailed off and glanced down at her book, wistfully rubbing her thumb over the worn down pages where she had written so much about her home world. She swallowed and Robin couldn't help but squeeze her hand, in reassurance.

"Star… you can talk to me, you know." He whispered, using his free hand to brush some of her long tresses behind her ear, a gesture that allowed him to see the unshed tears in his girlfriend's eyes, "Hey…"

Starfire closed her eyes briefly to rid herself of the tears and took a deep breath, turning her body towards Robin for a sort of comfort, "I am sorry… I just… become scared that I will… lose contact with Tamaran and start to forget the things that I loved about it." She paused and shrugged one shoulder, "It has been so long since I travelled to Tamaran and despite enjoying being able to regularly speak with Galfore via transmissions… it is… difficult sometimes."

"Star…" Robin breathed, his brows knitted together in concern. He moved a hand to her back, gently rubbing in circles to show her some affection to help her talk,

"I worry that… with my life now being on Earth… I will forget Tamaranean traditions and culture and I do not want to." She took a breath and looked into his face, "I am… the only one of my kind on this whole planet and it saddens me. I do not have people around me that I can talk about Tamaran with and expect them to understand. My culture is strange for humans to understand which is why… I do not bring traditions or things that remind me of Tamaran up around the tower much anymore… it is not your culture so it feels… wrong to push it on you all…"

Robin blinked in shock and sat back, "Star… we've never felt like you shouldn't share your culture with us. We find it pretty fascinating _because_ it is so different to things on Earth. We don't understand all of it, that's true but we're happy to hear about it because it's a part of _you_ and we love you. We want you to feel happy and comfortable on Earth, even if that means you're baking…" He paused and flipped a few pages back, " _Yickelnurf_ Pie… every single night."

Starfire giggled and smiled serenely at him, thankful that he understood her concerns. She felt her heart flutter as he stared back at her; despite being together for quite a while now, he never failed to reassure her in times of doubt.

"Please don't ever feel like you have to hide the Tamaranean traits and culture from us, Starfire. I love learning about where you come from and I promise, I will never get tired of hearing things about Tamaran." He vowed, "And I really hope you're gonna take me seriously about learning some Tamaranean because… I think it would be pretty cool to be able to speak to each other in your language."

"It can be… difficult to learn." She warned him, looking sheepish,

"I'm always up for a challenge." He replied, grinning at her so that she knew he was determined,

Slowly, a smile stretched across her face, illuminating all of her beautiful features and giving her that ethereal aura that she so usually had.

"Thank you, Robin." She murmured, sighing and resting her forehead against his, feeling more at ease in knowing she at least had him to share her culture with and that was more than enough for her,

"Also… maybe we should take a trip to Tamaran soon… that way you can show us things in person that you tell us about." Robin whispered, staring at her gorgeously green eyes,

"Truly?"

"Mhm."

"I would like that very much." She mumbled, a warmth spreading across her skin in her growing joy.

Suddenly, there was a quiet rumbling that came directly from her stomach. Her eyes widened and she jerked back, glancing down at herself, "Oh."

"Hungry?" Robin chuckled,

"It would seem so." She replied, bashfully,

Robin slowly got to his feet and pulled her up with him, where he still had their hands joined as one. She stood tall before him and smiled as his hands moved to her waist,

"So… what food on Earth reminds you of Tamaranean food?" Robin asked,

Starfire blinked and tapped her chin in thought, "Mm… I believe the seafood is most like my favourite Tamaranean dishes."

"Okay… so how about we go to _Sakura?_ " He suggested,

Her eyes lit up in delight at that, nodding her head enthusiastically, "Oh! Yes. I most enjoy their food. Japanese cuisine is extremely delicious."

"It's the squid or octopus that reminds you of Tamaranean stuff, isn't it?"

Starfire giggled, "Yes."

Robin grinned and softly rubbed the palms of his hands up and down the lengths of her arms, "Did you know, it's almost been two years since we were _in_ Japan?"

"It has been that long?" Starfire gasped,

He nodded, "Yup. We're heading for 2 years together."

Starfire lifted a hand to his face, her slender fingers caressing his cheek and she leaned in, pressing her lips to his. A thrill ran through her as his fingers tightened against her hips, desperate to keep her there forever.

Her free hand found his chest and she fisted the material of his uniform to bring him as close to her as possible. Robin ran his tongue along her bottom lip, teasing and testing to see how far she wanted to take this kiss.

Starfire's hand slipped from his cheek and slid up his neck, toying with the ebony hair at the nape of his neck.

Soon enough, the red headed alien pulled away, pressing one last quick peck to his mouth before she backed off entirely, her eyes fluttering open to stare at him in a dreamlike manner,

Robin sighed but kept her firmly rooted to the spot, not quite ready to let her disentangle herself from his arms, "Mm… what was that for?"

"A thank you… for the past… almost 2 years." Starfire whispered, "As well as every year since I arrived on this planet."

"Always, Star." Robin told her,

She nuzzled his cheek with hers before she stepped out of his affectionate hold completely and simply stood, holding his hand in hers.

"Ready to go?" Robin checked,

"Ready." Starfire beamed, truly grateful to have met this masked boy when she had first crash landed on Earth and to have the privilege to call him her best friend and boyfriend.


	4. Fantasy AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Okay, so late on posting cos it took me ages to write this one bc it is HEFTY BOIS. Like it was 20 pages long on word. Js.
> 
> I am super happy with this one and I love the oneshot so much that I'm genuinely thinking about turning it into a full blown fic. I guess it depends if many people would be interested in reading a full chapter fic on this type of story.
> 
> I took a bunch of inspo from The Witcher with the hunter stuff and just made bits and pieces up and added an assortment of languages in here to make certain words up.
> 
> But, I love the idea of doing this kind of thing. It's my favourite and I hope you guys like it it too! And let me know if you would be into a fic about the whole plot type of thing!

**Day 4 - Fantasy AU**

Embers licked and crackled along the wooden logs, burning in the fireplace and filling the small building with warmth. It cast a dim light around the room, with shadows slipping into the tiniest nooks and crannies, where the glow of the flames couldn't quite reach.

A strong aroma of beer and damp wood were embedded in the chunky pillars, along with the stale stench of smoke from years of patrons puffing away at their pipes. Thick clouds of dust particles and smoke clung in the space in front of the frosted windows, like they were frozen in time.

The roof was low, with flickering candles lining the walls and revealing the stone panelling, with grime and moss seeping in through the few gaps. The dark tables and chairs, dotted around the whole tavern were littered with empty bottles and ale cups, cold pools of amber liquid spilled over the surfaces with no one rushing to clean the messes up.

Iron chandeliers swung calmly above the heads of the customers, full with up to 6 candles each, in an attempt to further illuminate the dingy, cottage-like inn. It was partially full, with an assortment of people drinking and betting and committing dark deeds behind closed doors.

It was a hub for shady deals and crooked criminals, seeking refuge in a warm building that offered alcohol to drown their illegal woes in. In every direction, there were thugs and criminals and people simply looking for trouble.

'Dive' was too kind a word for The Shadow Bat Tavern, which was tucked away and out of sight, making it a lot easier to avoid soldiers on patrols, searching for those who made it onto the infamous WANTED posters that were plastered all across the town of Jump.

If you were travelling to the small tavern and you were not already planning on looking for trouble, it was more often than not a case, that trouble would find you instead.

The ebony haired man sat at the scuffed bar, his shoulders hunched as he tried to retreat into the tranquillity of his maroon cloak. The hood was tugged up and over his dark scruffy locks and pulled closely around his shoulders, with the hem cutting off midway down his upper arms.

He exhaled as he gripped the bottom of his glass and swirled the icy liquid inside before taking a long gulp of it, pulling a face as he pulled it from his lips. The beer was refreshing but the taste itself was nothing to rave about, in his opinion.

Tapping his fingers against the glass, the man eyed his wine coloured, leather gloves. He wore an entirely black ensemble beneath his cloak, suited to his lifestyle of stealth and aligning himself with shadows and the darkness.

The tavern wasn't the first place he had wanted to stop and take a breather at, but since he had nowhere else to go on account of knowing next to nothing about this town he had found himself in, he'd decided to chance it.

He smirked inwardly, feeling the length of his sword strapped to his back and reminded himself that he could probably handle any issues that these men around him wanted to start.

"You're not fooling many people in here, you know. Most of the people in here know exactly who you are."

Slowly lifting his head, his cobalt eyes focused on the bartender who was idly watching him and washing an ale cup. He had silver hair and a matching short boxed beard, with a black eye patch fitted across one eye. There were tiny scars scattered all over his face and the cloaked man couldn't help but wonder what kind of life this individual before him had experienced.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He muttered, letting his gaze fall back to his beverage.

"We don't need even more trouble in this area, _Sihari hunter._ " The bartender suddenly hissed, leaning his elbow forward so that his face was mere inches away from his own.

* * *

"I don't plan on making any."

"Trouble follows all hunters like you."

"That just means they're not doing their duties properly. Clearly." He paused and looked up, smug, "If they do it right, trouble _never_ follows."

"You should leave it to the normal folk in these towns." The Bartender scoffed, "We don't need the likes of you marching in and killing those scum off."

"Normal folk… as you call them, aren't equipped enough to challenge _Siharis._ Trust me on that, mister."

The older man sneered and opened his mouth to protest, the way his expression contorted being telling sign that he was preparing for an argument until a firm, female voice cut him off,

"Slade. Beat it." She commanded, "Take a break or something and stop harassing my clientele."

The white haired man, Slade, which was his name according to this woman, threw his rag down on the counter and stalked back behind the bar, roughly shoving past her which only served to amuse her, apparently.

Grunting to himself, the cloaked stranger shrugged his shoulders and stared back at the counter.

While his last job had paid handsomely and it had taken no time at all to complete, every time he closed his eyes recently, he was plagued by memories and images of all the previous _Sihari_ executions he had conducted.

He knew the rules. He knew what was expected of him, seeing as he was an official _Sihari_ Hunter and had been for years now. He also knew that he was skilled; more skilled than the few hunters than still existed in the realm.

 _Sihari_ were the enemy of every human in this world. Their abilities to warp reality were dangerous and beyond the laws of nature. Compared to thugs committing crimes, _Sihari_ were the ultimate criminals. If they were discovered by guards or soldiers, they were usually executed within the hour.

Of course, hunters had been around for eons, doing the dirty work of _removing_ _Sihari_ from existence for a high enough price so it wasn't often that an execution was a promoted event. If it was, practically all townsfolk made the trip to the town square to sneer and throw unspeakables at the offenders before they were hanged for their treachery.

It wasn't an easy job to do.

Some hunters were able to slay _Sihari_ and then go drinking with friends only 10 minutes afterward but the cloaked man could never be so blase about it. At first, he'd found it exhilarating and he had been a part of the same notion as the rest of the world; that they were to be despised and that all they wanted to do was hurt those who were not like them.

He snorted quietly to himself at that, figuring how it had switched. It was the humans now trying to hurt _Sihari_ , simply for being alive which forced the majority of them to go into hiding, shunned by the communities in the towns all across the world.

They were seen as cursed by the devil; defected and deformed. The rejects of the population, despite there being a hefty number of them dotted throughout Illinia.

He could assume that there were some _Sihari_ who probably did want to cause destruction and ruin, and bring eternal damnation on the humans, who they'd see as inferior due to their lack of mystical abilities. But, he guessed a _Sihari_ like that would probably not let others like them live too long either.

Magic had been forbidden for years and years, since as long as anyone could remember. It was in all the textbooks and scriptures within libraries. All the children learnt about _Sihari_ when they were growing up, parents reinforcing this hatred and malice that had only ever been passed down through generations. But, that hatred was born from fear. And the fear was a manifestation of not understanding and pure ignorance.

It was common practice for humans to hate things or people that they did not understand.

 _Sihari_ were seen as cursed by most, but by few, they were adhered to as a blessing; that their mission was to bring about peace when the time came for it.

Although, the cloaked figure didn't know which side of that he stood on. Of course, he should automatically fall to the side of hatred, considering his profession but sometimes he wondered.

Surely, they weren't all bad people.

Sensing someone now standing before him, the hooded man lifted his chin, his blue eyes narrowing at a tall, dark haired woman with piercing violet eyes. It was the same one who had shooed the grey haired bartender before.

She smirked at him, her skin glowing under the roaring fire in the corner of the bar. Leaning forward, she planted her elbows on the counter, effectively pushing her breasts together. Her posture changed and he could pick up on her clear signals of what she was trying to do.

"Sorry about him… he's a grouch." She purred, tilting her head and letting her long onyx hair cascade over her shoulder,

"Mhm." He grunted, trying his best to ignore her presence,

"You're not from around here, hm?" She continued, her tone one laced with allure, "Maybe I could… show you around?"

He sighed and finally swiveled to face her, "No offense but… I'm not interested."

"You'd be the first man in this town." She informed him, grinning as if proud of her seductive habits.

"I'm sure I am." He mumbled, taking a swig of his drink.

"They call you The Robin, right?"

His grip on his glass tightened, "Maybe."

She laughed and twisted, hopping up on the counter so she could stare down at him, " _Please_. In this town, everyone knows everyone. You're a new face. You shouldn't be surprised that people talk and you've been… revealed."

"Well, I'm not planning on sticking around so people won't have to worry."

"Maybe you _could_ stay a while." She murmured,

He rolled his eyes and looked up, into her face, "Look. Like I said, I'm really not interested in you like-"

"I have a proposition… _Sihari_ hunter." She whispered, her face now lacking any playfulness at all.

The Robin paused and he felt a chill spike down his spine; the familiar anxiety that initially came with each job requested of him. He didn't like to think of himself as a mercenary for hire type but as the years went on, it seemed more and more appropriate.

"What kind?"

She let the question hang in the air for a moment before she extended a hand to him, "I like to do business deals properly. The name is Kom."

He glanced at her hand before he shook it, ignoring the way her fingers brushed against the underside of his palm, still trying to persuade him into more. He sighed and pulled his hand back, impatiently waiting for the details so he could name a price and be on his way.

"Robin." He muttered,

"Hm… we both know that's not your real name. But, I'll take it." She hummed,

"What's this proposition, Kom?"

Her expression darkened and she took a deep breath, "I need a _Sihari_ taken care of as soon as possible." She paused, "She's a danger to all of Illinia and she needs to be stopped."

"Name?"

"Koriand'r or you might hear 'Kory' for short." Kom informed him,

"Why is she a danger?" He queried, skeptic of all the people in his life who ever asked for a _Sihari_ to be rid of. It was only fair to question their desire to have another living being killed, despite the universal knowledge of _Sihari_ being what they were.

"She wants to bring the end of days. She's banded together with 3 other _Sihari_ and they plan to rip normality away from humans. She's near; in the town of Jump but I don't know how long she will stay. You need to find her… end her… before she gets too powerful." Kom stressed, her expression almost pleading.

Robin watched her for a long moment, trying to comprehend what his gut was telling him about this woman and the situation that had been presented to him. He blinked and tore his attention away, grabbing his cup and draining the last of its contents.

He placed the empty cup back on the counter and pushed himself away from the edge, planting his feet firmly on the ground and folding his arms across his chest.

"I do this, it's 50,000 _mynters_. Hope you want it that badly." He told her, gruffly,

Kom licked her lips and shrugged, "I'll give you double that if you get the job done."

He narrowed his eyes, "You got a personal vendetta on this girl?"

"Something like that. Just need to see her plans fail. Can't let _Sihari_ do such a thing, right?"

Robin huffed and tugged on his gloves, pulling them up his arms a little more securely, "Where abouts will I find her?"

Kom's eyes twinkled with something indiscernible, "Last I heard, she was where most _Sihari_ travel through."

He snorted and shook his head, " _Mavaeko_ forest. I'm not surprised. That's not exactly close, you know."

"You're capable, I'm sure." She assumed, "Look for a plum coloured cloak. It has white stars all along the hem. You can't miss it."

Robin nodded in understanding but paused before he took his leave, "I have to ask. Eternal damnation etc aside… why bother asking a hunter to go after her? You seem like you'd rather do it yourself."

"I would rather that. But… as I heard you tell Slade…" She flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Us mere _normal folk_ aren't well enough equipped to handle such threats. Right?"

Taking one last look at this uncertain character, Robin grunted in response and tightened the string of his cloak around his neck, "Job will be done within 2 days, assuming I find her quickly enough. I expect full payment on Thursday."

"You'll get it…" She called as he reached the door, "Just make sure she's finished before you collect the bounty price."

He waved a hand dismissively before he slipped through the gap and let the strong winds outside, slam the door shut behind him.

Kom stared after the rouge cloaked man and reached for the empty glass he had left in the wake of his visit. She sauntered back towards the kitchens and carefully deposited it into the nearest basin of water.

She lifted her head, eyeing the rainfall that was spattering against the translucent window panes. Slowly, a smirk laced its way onto her lips and her eyes briefly glowed violet as she contemplated her situation,

"Mm… watch out… dearest Kory."

* * *

Robin growled to himself as he shoved yet another leafy branch out of his way and continued to traipse his way through the high grass that was slick against his calves, his boots a muddied mess.

The heavens had opened as soon as he reached the forest, an immediate downpour following the cluster of dark, charcoal clouds in the sky. The droplets of rain slid off of everything, coating all it could reach in dampness. Clumps of dirt were sticking at the soles of his boots, making his trail all the more slippery.

As he climbed a hill, to the best of his ability, he grappled with the long branches hanging off of the thick barked trees that rose high into the sky, making the forest dense and partially impenetrable to sounds such as birds or insects.

He sighed and grumbled to himself, "It just _had_ to be this place."

 _Mavaeko_ forest was like a hotbed for magic users; a constant crossroad for _Sihari_ to meet and trade, away from the prying eyes of the humans. It was a location that was well known and had regular patrols of guards, smoking the entire forest out to try and catch more fugitives.

Robin decided right now was a luckier time in terms of patrols, since it seemed eerily empty and abandoned. He was on alert since that was never a good sign. _Sihari_ could be sly and elusive, using their ethereal powers to hide or to set up traps for hunters and humans who didn't have their wits about them.

Reaching the top of the hill, Robin exhaled and reached for an overgrown bush, using the dagger at his hip to cut himself a pathway. It took a little more effort than he thought it would but soon enough, he was stumbling through into the start of a series of clearings.

He froze as he spied a thin veil of smoke, rising from just behind some bushes further ahead of him. He was losing daylight quickly and so it caused his vision to be a tad distorted but he was sure he could see a hooded figure sitting just in front of a fire, carefully protected by a sheet of material on rods, ensuring the rain wouldn't wipe out the source of light and warmth for whoever was camping out.

As Robin got closer, he ducked down and peered over the tops of the bushes. It was a quiet clearing, just on the side of the cliffs running at the back of the _Mavaeko_ forest; caves weaving throughout the rocky mountains.

He prayed he wouldn't have to trudge through there as well, just in order to find this girl.

Robin's eyes widened as he paid better attention to the hooded figure, sitting on a wooden log and stretching their hands towards the lick of flames. The cloak was purple, an altered shade, he presumed when the sky wasn't delving into dusk.

But what he noticed was the hem which was dragging against the muddy ground; tiny white stars littering the fabric. He straightened up from his hidden spot and took a deep breath, shifting his grip on the dagger in his hand.

When jobs were offered to him and he accepted them, Robin always hoped that it was male _Sihari_ that needed taking down. He had only had to take care of a few women in his time of doing this but it never sat well with him, weighing on his conscience, long after the deed was done.

Something in his upbringing; a happier time until it was cut short, always pinged in his head like red alerts when his contract was for female _Siharis_. It made the task feel dirtier; more tainted that he knew it already was.

Robin shook it off and steadied his breathing, slipping through the bundles of foliage in an agile manner. His movement was slow and careful, stealth consuming him as he crept closer, without making a single sound.

He continued until he was directly behind her, raising his dagger from his side and being careful not to move to show his shadow and give himself away.

In an instant, he had the back of the cloak in his fist and the blade was lightly pressed against this woman's throat; it wouldn't be how he delivered the blow but he had to cover himself considering magic didn't course through his veins so he was at a slight disadvantage,

"Whoa!" Came a startled voice as Robin hoisted her to her feet, yanking her back over the log,

"Miss Kory, the league of hunters has come to find you on charges of _Sihari_ accusations-" Robin recited, recalling the usual spiel that hunters were required to tell them.

Hunters were a different breed to soldiers and guards of the high council. Their orders were never to 'kill on sight' since the league believed each _Sihari_ should have the chance to plead their case, with the final decision resting in the hands of the individual hunter.

Indulging in use of magic was prohibited; the worst crime and form of treason throughout the land. They would have to lie well to be able to get away once a hunter had caught up to them.

However, if they told the truth, the execution was swift and painless. If they lied… that option was not so merciful. There were exceptions but they were also a rarity since most hunters had a bit of a bias towards _Sihari_.

"Buddy, if you think I'm a girl… I think you need help." The voice said, clearly this time.

Robin's brows knitted together in confusion and the blade slipped away slightly, "Huh?"

The unknown dweller took the opportunity to shove Robin's arm away, sliding out of his hold. The _Sihari_ hunter moved to follow and grab him but the hood crumpled to the ground and Robin stumbled back as the man morphed into a snake, dropping to the leaf filled ground and slithering out of reach.

"What the…" He breathed, having never seen that kind of magic performed by a _Sihari._

The changeling slinked around the side of the log, his long scaly body following whilst he hissed. The light from the fire reflected off of his reptilian skin and he continued to move until he was a safe enough space away from Robin.

When he arrived on the other side of the fire, he morphed back into his original form, looking in Robin's direction with a smug smirk.

"I'll tell you something, you were awfully quiet in your sneaky approach." The boy laughed, folding his arms across his chest.

Robin could see that he had mint tinted skin, shaggy forest locks and a sharp fang that poked out from beneath his bottom lip. It wasn't completely shocking that he could turn into animals considering his usual appearance.

He shook his head, "Yeah… that's kind of the point."

The animal man burst into a high pitched fit of laughter and waved his hand, "You didn't let me finish. You _are_ quiet." He raised a challenging brow at him, "But we're quieter."

Robin was bewildered by that at first until he realized what he had walked into, silently cursing himself for not being more vigilant.

"You wanna put down that weapon there, little red?" Came a deeper voice from his right hand side; behind a tree trunk, if Robin had to guess, "Or are we going to have to take it from you by force?"

Exhaling through his nostrils, Robin slowly put his hands up, releasing the dagger so it fell to the ground with a dull thunk. He turned his head to eye the person who had spoken and was surprised to see a bulky, dark skinned man. He was bald with an athletic build and a distrusting glint in his eye, which Robin supposed was fair.

But what caught him off guard was the fact at least half of his body was replaced with turquoise cybernetic parts, including a glowing red scanner in the place of his left eye. His mouth fell open slightly but he suspected not all _Sihari_ looked the same.

He had his arm up and aimed towards Robin, glowing with a carolina blue beam in place of a fist. Robin could tell it would more than likely pack a punch and he knew he'd have to be smart about this.

In a situation like this one, the _Sihari_ held the cards, not him.

"Do you mind telling us what you're doing so deep in the forest at this sort of time?" Came a monotone voice from his left, but he recognized the pitch to be one that belonged to a female.

He shifted and looked towards her, surprised to see her step out from behind some trees. She had a pale, grey complexion with soulful indigo eyes that seemed to penetrate every wall he had up around him. Her grape coloured hair slid out from beneath the navy hood of the cloak she had wrapped around her.

Her hands were up and a sphere of black magic floated towards him, encasing a rather sharp wooden spike that appeared perfectly positioned to pierce his heart if he so encouraged it with a wrong move.

Robin couldn't help but focus on a small ruby gem that was fixed on her forehead, in the space between her eyebrows and he had a burning itch to know what it was for or what it was capable of helping her do.

"And don't think about lying. She has more powers than just _that_." The man on his right threatened,

Robin's eyes fell to the ground and he cleared his throat, "Look… I'm not here for any of you, by the looks of it." He growled, "Let me leave and I won't inform authorities that you're in here."

"Oh yeah… that sounds real convincing." The man to the right scoffed,

The changeling waved a hand in the man's direction, whilst refusing to remove his gaze from Robin, "No… he's not here for us. He's here for Kory. He said her name when he grabbed me."

"Well, if you think we are going to let you execute our friend, you are sorely mistaken, human." The woman sneered, forcing her weapon closer to him.

"Hmph… get Kory." The man on the right ordered,

The green skinned man turned his head towards the entrance of the cave which he could now see a flickering glow from inside, "Kory!"

Robin swallowed the dryness in his throat and shuffled his feet, considering his options to get out of the forest unscathed. He was just in the process of forming the start of a mediocre plan when a woman came hurrying out of the mouth of the cave, a torch in hand where the flames danced to avoid the rain that still fell from the sky.

"What is happening out here?"

His eyes widened at her silver voice; like a long lost melody that he'd never before heard. It was silky smooth and spoke volumes of her passion.

He straightened up as _Kory_ halted just where the animal man was standing. She looked as surprised as him as she stroked her eyes over his form.

Robin felt the back of his neck grow hot as he did the same, failing to admit he did not dislike what he saw.

Her long auburn tresses swished around her hips as she moved and her golden skin looked like that of a sunset encompassed in one ethereal vessel. Her eyes were like emeralds, strangely vibrant and curious and just as beautiful as the rest of her.

She wore some type of grey armour on her neck, with a gem sat in the middle of the garment. The gauntlets she wore matched and ran up to her elbows, with a purple fingerless material sitting underneath them to keep her arms warm. Her eggplant coloured leather vest revealed a lot of skin; her entire stomach exposed and Robin had to wonder how she wasn't freezing cold.

Leather pants of the same shade adorned her long, slender legs with a pair of dark knee high boots on her feet.

Robin felt a thud in his chest, his heart racing at the gorgeous vision in front of him before he abruptly scolded himself for being so stupid. She was the target and if he was smart, he could still get the job done tonight, make his way back into the town and be paid by the dawn.

"Gar? Are you okay?" She asked the shapeshifter, touching his shoulder and chin, checking him over for wounds. She scanned the sea of trees, eyeing her other comrades, "Vic? Raven?"

"We're good, little lady." Vic confirmed, stepping around Robin more so that he had a clearer shot if necessary.

"We have… a guest?" Kory queried, placing her hands behind her back and wandering out from the safety of the campfire.

Robin gulped as she was obviously making her way towards him, a serene expression on her face; it was as if trespassers in their area of the woods were common and welcome, to her at least.

"He's a _Kaxhir_." Raven warned her, still waiting for a signal to plunge that spike through his chest,

Kory appeared mildly spooked by that, her eyes shifting back and forth before she swallowed and stood before him. Her eyes searched his face, as if the answer would come to her.

"You… wish to execute _me_ , hunter?" She asked, tilting her head as if it was a simple question.

Robin was perplexed. There was no scrutiny and no malevolence in her voice but he was still on edge; it could merely be a guise. It wouldn't be the first time a hunter had been lured into a false sense of security by a cunning _Sihari_.

"You're Koriand'r." Robin stated, watching as her jade eyes sparkled, apparently happy to receive a response of any kind,

She gazed at him before she nodded her head once, "Yes. I am."

"Are the charges true that I've been told? Are you _Sihari_ along with your friends?" Robin interrogated, his tone even and his mind not having forgotten that his dagger still lay amongst the leaves on the ground.

Kory smiled softly and Robin felt his stomach flutter at the movement. It was subtle and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but he would be lying if he said she wasn't absolutely stunning; even more so, now that she was right in front of his eyes.

She extended one of her hands, palm facing the sky and conjured what he could only describe as a ball of pure lime energy, crackling and fizzing as it remained under her control. He lifted his chin to see her eyes glowing a fiery green as well.

He was unsure why this woman was affecting him so greatly but his head felt light and airy as he stared at her in awe, the shamrock orb between her fingers, dazzling his vision.

In an instant, it was gone; extinguished by her own will. Robin blinked several times, trying to regain his composure.

Her fingers threaded together and she let them fall just in front of her body, "Does that answer your question?"

Robin was silent, merely staring at her. She was remarkably calm for someone who had just revealed herself to be a creature deemed forbidden by law, "It is illegal to be a _Sihari_ …"

She bobbed her head, strands of rouge hair carrying in the cool breeze of night, "It is. Although… it is _not_ something one can be rid of, even if they wanted to. But, I expect you already know that."

Robin swallowed, a sudden guilty weight on his chest at that. It wasn't a lifestyle that he had chosen with ease. It had more so been forced upon him; the only available route through his means as a young boy.

"May I ask… who has requested you to do this?" Kory asked, something in her phrasing which told him she already had an idea.

His lips remained pursed together; an oath that was bound by contract when he agreed to take jobs. He would not reveal the client, even when individuals begged to know.

Kory sighed and glanced at the ground where Gar had been sitting on the log, noticing her cloak drenched from the rain and looking worse for wear.

Her eyes narrowed, as if piecing things together in her mind and working the truth out for herself. She briefly glanced at Robin who was still standing with his hands up, considering Raven, as he'd heard Kory call her by, still had her weapon directed at him.

Suddenly, Kory gasped and she stumbled back, a hand reaching for her chest as it seemed to hit her. Robin took a step towards her, uncharacteristically concerned for this stranger; a stranger with magical powers, no less.

"Kory?" Vic called, his voice distressed.

The exotic beauty's head snapped up and her fern gaze locked with his azure one, "Was it a woman named Kom?" She asked,

Robin's eyes widened, somewhat impressed by her skills without having much information to go on but he remained silent.

Kory barked out a bit of a nervous laugh, "If I am to die anyway, what does it matter if I know who ordered it?"

He hadn't really thought of it in that way before and despite his vow not to give away details like that, he felt something positive about Kory. He couldn't explain it but he trusted his gut, enough to give her some dignity about knowing who was toying with her fate. He felt warmth emanating from Kory, a kindness and a gentle nature shining through her actions alone.

Robin needed more to go on to simply just let her go but there was only really one way to get his answers, "Yes."

Kory's calm demeanour evaporated and she swallowed heavily, her eyes fluttering in fear. Her chest started to rise and fall at a rapid speed and she half turned away from him.

"Shit. Kom ordered it?" Gar fretted, trotting closer to Kory who looked extremely concerned,

"She is too close. We need to create distance or she will surely get exactly what she wants." Kory strategized, tapping her fingertips against her chin.

Robin watched them with renewed interest. Something about Kory's reaction to the news that Kom had ordered her death, didn't seem to surprise her. She was clearly scared that Kom was so near but it didn't seem unexpected that Kom had arranged for a hunter to come after her.

"Kory, are you sure it's Kom?" Raven checked, her eyes not sliding off of Robin for even a second,

She nodded in response, "I am certain. This hunter was looking for my cloak. The only person outside of this group who knows it belongs to me, is her."

"Well, how do we lose her?" Vic fussed,

Kory minutely shook her head, "We will… have to divert from the path of our map. It will take longer and… time is not on our side but I believe Kom will do nothing until I am out of the way. I am the only one who can stand against her. She knows that once I am 'dealt with', it will be much easier for her to take over. She will start with the south of Illinia and work her way through until town after town bends to her will."

"And if they don't?" Gar squeaked,

"She will annihilate their very existence." Kory breathed, a weary hand touching her forehead,

Robin furrowed his brows and blurted something before he could stop himself, "That's what she said _you_ are planning to do."

"Dude, I don't know if you can read the room but… this is kinda a private conversation between friends?" Gar interjected, falling into silence when Kory raised a hand to him,

Kory turned back towards him, watching him with hesitance as she shuffled closer to him; an arms length away, "Did she tell you why she wanted me dead?"

"It was pretty clear she had a vendetta against you." Robin replied, forcing himself to remain passive,

"But she did not tell you why."

"No."

Kory nodded and chewed on her lower lip, "Of course, because doing so would have given her away."

"But… she said she was human."

Vic snorted from behind Kory, "Right. Kom. Human."

"That's a good one." Gar snickered, shaking his head in disbelief,

Robin's brows knitted together in confusion, "Who is she to you?"

Kory tilted her head and smiled bitterly, "Do you not think we look alike?"

He paused, taking a moment to compare the two women. Kory appeared younger than Kom, possibly not by much but she had the more youthful appearance. It was on the tip of his tongue to admit that Kom wasn't nearly as attractive but decided such a statement would be foolish.

"She's your sister." Robin concluded, annoyed he didn't realize it sooner,

Kory nodded in confirmation, "Yes. She is my older sister and despite what she has led you to believe, I am not the one who plans to send the world of Illinia into chaos. That is her desire and I share no part of it, other than wanting to stop her from even getting the chance."

"And as for being human… her powers are practically identical to Kory's." Raven muttered, still having not eased up on her floating weapon,

"She just hides it well." Vic grumbled,

Robin was trying to calculate what they were saying in his head. It would make sense, given how off the deal seemed when he was making it. Kom was charming but it was of a forceful kind, like she was trying too hard to cover something up.

"How do I know you're not lying as well?" He said, needing something concrete to douse his suspicions,

His gut had painted him a completely different picture of Kory to what her sister had tried to, so far.

He was reluctant to blindly believe her though. Beauty and gentleness aside, she could be lying. Many _Sihari_ used lies to slip through the fingers of hunters; it was a common mistake.

Kory bowed her head slightly and spotted his blade on the ground. She lunged for it, picking it up and twisting it around in her hand. His pulse throbbed as she moved as quickly as lightning and marched so close to him that her chest almost brushed against his.

She shoved the dagger into his hand and pulled his arm up, positioning his limb so the blade sat just an inch from her throat. He sucked in a startled breath, utterly thrown by her actions.

"Kory!" Gar yelped, worried for what she was doing,

Vic and Raven also stiffened but stayed rooted to their spots, as to not aggravate anything.

"If you think I am lying, then go ahead. Get it over with." She urged, her eyes pleading with him for something but he didn't know what. He assumed she did not want death of all things.

Robin gripped the butt of the dagger harder but he did not move it any closer to her skin, resorting to staring at her instead, wanting to know what she had to say.

"I have told you the truth. What do I have to gain from lying?" She challenged,

Kory was so close to him that he could feel her hot breath on his cheek, the berry scent of her hair wafting around him like a fruity bubble. Her eyes bored into his, tiny specks of yellow in her irises that glittered in the soft glow of the fire that was still fighting to stay alive in the rain which had lessened somewhat.

"And… you're saying you're the only person who can stop her from carrying this take over of Illiniya?" He checked, getting lost in the haze of green,

Her expression softened, "Yes. We are already on our way to a place that will hold more answers but I am the only one who can match her power."

Robin swallowed heavily and Kory caught his hesitation, tilting her head, "What does your gut tell you?"

He felt a shudder rack through his body and he knew, deep down, who he believed at this point. He backed off, pulling away and tucking his dagger back in its sheath, hanging at his hip.

"Okay." He said, nodding his head and hoping that she could see that he was taking a leap of faith and trusting her word.

Kory relaxed and smiled softly, "Thank you."

Vic narrowed his eyes at Robin and made a loud humming sound, "So, we're just supposed to trust that you believe her?"

"Like she said… she has no reason to lie about it. If she was lying and is planning what Kom said, she would have killed me without any kind of hesitation which…" He trailed off, his eyes washing over her, "she didn't… when Kom told me to come after you… there was something… like she was hiding something."

"If you thought she was lying or that there was something off about her, why did you accept the job?" Raven questioned, her dark eyes intimidating,

"I'm a _Sihari_ hunter. People pay me to hunt… your people down and… get rid of them. I don't blindly accept those jobs, not unless someone has a solid reason for a _Sihari_ needing to be dealt with." Robin replied, his scowl on the ground,

"I thought hunters were supposed to take any job where _Sihari_ are concerned. Us being alive is a crime, remember?" Vic reiterated,

"Yeah well… not all of us view it in such a black and white way." Robin muttered,

"Aren't you basically the same as the high council?" Gar pointed out,

He shook his head, "No. The league of hunters give your people a chance to… explain themselves. It's… complicated sometimes. But, ultimately it's down to the individual hunter to make a choice. High council guards just… execute without any kind of trial. We're not quite as barbaric."

"Hm… so what you're saying is… we should be grateful that Kom hired _you…_ rather than some asshole hunter who wouldn't even listen to reason?" Vic asked, smirking a little,

Robin gave into a small laugh, "Uh… something like that."

Kory scanned his features, for any hint of deceit, "And… you are not planning to kill me still?"

He looked back into her heart shaped face. She looked tired; like she was tired of having to fight all the time, in every aspect of her life, whether it be from the law or her own sister.

"No." He told her, honestly, "The only reason I agreed to take on Kom's proposal was because she said you were threatening humanity on a huge scale. Now that I've been told it's reversed… with enough evidence to suggest it's true… I won't kill you just for being _Sihari_. If I find out that you _are_ planning to cause trouble and harm to humans… I will be sent after you again once you leave here today."

"What about your deal with Kom?"

"She won't see me again. She hasn't paid me so I could… I don't know, just say I never found you."

"That's against your oath, isn't it?" Raven said,

He shrugged, "Like I said… it's not all black and white."

Kory smiled and turned to Raven, "Please… lower the weapon."

Raven hesitated, "Are you sure? He could just be lying and as soon as our backs are turned, he'll kill each of us and get a hefty reward for it, too."

Suddenly, a bundle of white fur burst from the mouth of the cave behind them all. It darted through the darkness, rolling around in the leaves and grass. It was fast and nimble. A small type of creature that seemed hopped up on exuberant energy.

The beast bounded over the log and stopped just at Robin's feet. He glanced down and blinked in surprise to be staring into the face of a _chandra wolf_ ; something that had long been said to be mythical or extinct but certainly not living and breathing.

It tilted its small head, its ears staying up as it snuffed around Robin's legs, trying to decide if he was a friend or foe. Slowly, Robin lowered to his knees, staring into its chocolate eyes. It was almost like a cross between a common wolf or dog and a fox.

With fur like snow, Robin gently reached a hand out. He left it in the space between him and the wolf, allowing it to make the decision on if he wanted to trust or not.

"Silkie!" Kory hissed, going into a rather protective stance and it didn't take Robin long to understand that 'Silkie' was clearly a companion to her of some sorts and now her defense had risen, not knowing what Robin would do.

To prove he believed her words about Kom, Robin made a few clicking sounds with his lips, trying to entice Silkie into coming closer.

The wolf took a long moment but soon, he trotted closer, leaning his fluffy head into Robin's hand. He smiled and stroked the creature's head, scratching him behind the ears which seemed to go down well with Silkie who let his tongue flop out in enjoyment.

Kory stood, shell shocked. The man had gone from being a threat who was in partnership with Kom to an… ally? Maybe?

Not entirely. He was giving them the benefit of the doubt. It was an uneasy understanding of which Kory wasn't too sure how long would last.

She still wasn't sure what his intentions were but she hoped that possibly, with time he could come to realise that not all magic users were bad or out to hurt humans. She wondered if he already knew that and that perhaps he was simply bound by his vows as a hunter.

Nodding to Raven, Kory gave her a signal that she felt it was safe to drop their guard with this stranger. The dark sorceress looked uncertain but did so, placing the spike other by the trees, keeping her mind sharp, in case she needed to reach it in a hurry.

Taking a tentative step forward, Kory mirrored Robin's position, sitting on her knees, playing with the white wolf. Silkie wagged his tail at seeing his mistress joining them and scampered over to her, immediately laying his head down on her thighs.

Kory giggled and slid her fingers through Silkie's fresh fur. Robin watched her and smiled, feeling his concerns begin to melt away more and more.

He knew his role and he knew his duty. But, if every hunter murdered every _Sihari_ in cold blood, without a real reason in doing so, surely that would make them just as bad as what the world thought the _Sihari_ were.

Of course, if the high council got wind of his actions, of lack thereof, he would be locked away and executed himself, for treason.

"Please… what _is_ your name? I would rather call you something other than hunter." Kory murmured,

Robin looked up, noticing that Vic, Gar and Raven were all coming closer to the two of them and Silkie. He felt that familiar heat on the back of his neck, "Uh… Robin."

Kory smiled knowingly and shook her head, "No… not your hunter name… your real name."

"Um…" He stammered, not ever having shared that information with anyone beyond one of two people in his life.

"You know ours." Kory teased, her smile infectious as he found himself mirroring her expression,

"My name is… Dick." He awkwardly admitted.

Gar snorted, "Aw, man. That's unfortunate."

"It's short for Richard."

"Yeah, but still."

Dick sighed but smirked, "What's Gar short for, then?"

"Garfield."

"Right, cause that's so much better."

Gar looked scandalised whilst Vic burst out laughing, "He has you there, grass stain."

Kory giggled as she bent over and pressed a sweet kiss to the top of Silkie's head. Raven looked mildly amused but restrained her outward expression to remain aloof.

"So… what is your plan to stop your sister?" Dick asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"We need to travel North to my home. I have not been back there in… a very long time however, one of the elders there is aware of a treasure of sorts that can be used to enhance power. If I can find and use that, I will probably be able to stop her from setting Illiniya on fire."

"Probably?"

Kory looked at a loss, "It is the only hope but even I cannot predict what will be the outcome."

He nodded slowly, "I'm sure you can do it."

She blushed a faint pink and smiled at him, "Thank you, Dick."

All of a sudden, Vic perked his head up, turning his head in the direction of the forest entrance.

"Vic? What is it?" Gar asked, immediately on alert,

"My sensors are picking up on incoming." He responded, pressing his fingers to the side of his head in an attempt to get a clearer visual.

Raven sucked in a breath, "High council soldiers. They're flushing out the forest for any magic users."

"Damn it! And we just got a cute camp set up for once!" Gar complained, kicking the ground.

Kory instantly got to her feet, frantically looking left and right, checking for any enemies, "Quickly. We must gather our belongings and move. We will find somewhere else to spend the night." She commanded, tapping Silkie's back and whispering to him in a foreign language which got the small wolf sprinting towards the cave.

Dick watched them all flurrying around with haste and felt torn on whether he should help or whether he was supposed to stop them. Sure, they had had a moment of reprieve but he knew the penalties for hunters that just let confirmed _Sihari_ go.

He got up as well, keeping an eye out for the soldiers that were quickly moving in on their location.

The four of them were rushing around, collecting their things and piling them into their backpacks with the utmost haste.

Soon enough, they appeared ready to move out but Kory faltered, glancing over her shoulder at him. She licked her lips, clearly mulling over something until she took a single step towards him.

"You should come with us." She told him,

"What!?" Gar yelped, "Kory, have you completely lost your mind?"

Kory refused to look at her friend, keeping her gaze on Dick, who was shocked by the offer.

"What?" Dick repeated, his voice quiet,

"You do not fully trust us… and the feeling is... mutual but… perhaps… you could stay with us and help us to stop Kom. You took an oath to protect humans from threats regarding _Sihari_ , correct?"

"Well… yeah… but…"

"Trust me when I say, Kom is the biggest _Sihari_ threat. She has more influence and power than you know. She has people working for her… within all aspects. Possibly even your hunter league. It would do you good to help us stop her."

Dick was about to rebuff her statement that Kom had people double agenting inside the league but he stopped short, knowing that there had been cases in the past of such things.

"But… I'd be painted with the same brush. I'm betraying the league by helping _Sihari_."

"You would be helping to stop a greater threat. It is… the lesser of two evils, at least in human eyes. Besides, you would be able to make sure we are telling the truth once it all ends. Stay with us and see that what we have told you is the truth in what we are trying to do."

Dick stayed quiet, his chest heaving as the adrenaline of soldiers closing in on them got the better of him, "I…"

"Uh… Kory. I love you and all but… are you nuts? The guy's first impression was putting a knife to my damn neck!" Gar shrieked,

"I hate to admit it but… he has a point, Kory." Raven added,

Vic scratched his head, "The other option is he gets caught in here with us and is accused of affiliation. He'd be sentenced to death for aiding _Sihari_."

Gar sighed, "And we can't do that either."

"It would make us seem just as bad as them. To allow someone to die… just because they were doing a good thing… which is deemed wrong by society."

Kory nodded to her friends and spun back around towards Dick who still looked unsure.

There was a bang from close by and Kory gasped, watching as smoke wafted around the trees, followed by shouting and directions from the guards swarming the forest.

"We have to move." Kory whispered, slowly backing away and staring at him, her eyes wild, "What is it going to be?"

Dick swallowed and lifted his chin to her, giving her a curt nod before he pulled his hood up and over his head and sprinted towards the outer edge of the forest, with Silkie leading them through the darkness.

The hunter desperately hoped the decision to join them wouldn't come back to bite him.


	5. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, I botched this massively lmao. I had meant to make it better, I swear but I only managed to start it a couple hours ago and now, I just want it posted cos I'm so tired and I just wanna sleep.
> 
> I'll try and do better with tomorrow's prompt when hopefully I'm not so shattered.
> 
> If you notice that there are errors, its because I havent proofread it and I'll do that tomorrow too. Maybe.
> 
> Hope you like... whatever this is anyway tho!

**Day 5 - Rescue**

The thousand bulb string lights above the guests' heads weaved back and forth, crossing over one another like a blanket of illumination hanging from the ceiling. They glittered and glowed, filling the entire ballroom with a warmth that contrasted to the outside world, beyond the frosted windows.

Snow had been falling for hours; millions of tiny snowflakes, individual and unique in calibre; all different but each as special as the next. They had created a frozen utopia throughout Gotham, banding together and enveloping everything in its frosty embrace.

The wind was howling as a snowstorm approached, the snow swirling in the air like an intricate winter dance of the elements.

It was a sight that could only be imagined from a snow globe after being shaken madly and set down to take effect.

But, the beautiful yet icy weather beyond the walls of the ballroom was the least of the crowds concerns, as they enjoyed their night.

Laughter and chatter bubbled up and spread around the huge room like a serene melody; a sanctuary of good vibes and happy moods as the light dinner music flowed alongside it, the string quartet gathered in the corner, lost in a world of their own with the musical instruments at the center of it.

Kory smiled brightly as her jade eyes scanned her surroundings, soaking it all up and becoming more and more quietly thrilled by the sights around her as the hours ticked by. Her heart was pounding and she found her fingers on the jittery side once or twice throughout the evening.

These events constantly stole her fascination since they were always so stunning and so different to the one before. This Winter charity event for example was so different to the one they had been invited to in the Summer where the colours around them had been a mesh of oranges, reds and yellows. Floral patterns and foliage had been key features of that event, with a beach style dressing it up for the overall cause in helping to remove litter and trash from oceans, in order to cleanse the homes of sea animals.

Clearing her throat, Kory tucked a loose strand of ruby hair behind her ear, briefly eyeing the silver bangle on her wrist. Cyborg's technology was something of a spectacle, she had to admit. When Robin's mentor had first started to ask them along to these 'shindigs' as Beast Boy had called them, they had had to figure out a way to appear as humans since appearing as themselves would cause… a lot of questions and would most likely reveal Robin and Batman for their true identities.

It went without saying that that was not a viable option.

But, Cyborg had been able to hone in on his holographic ring invention that he had used _years_ ago to infiltrate the Hive academy. It had taken some modifying and readjusting but with every task thrown in his direction, the cybernetic man was able to create an assortment of accessories for each of the Titans, except Robin of course.

For Starfire, a bangle. For Beast Boy and Cyborg, a simplistic watch each, sat on their wrists. And, for Raven, a thin black choker that wove around her neck.

It had been trial and error for some weeks before he had them working perfectly, including being able to redesign their whole holographic appearance; something which they had had a lot of fun with.

Kory hummed to herself and took a sip of her icy beverage, feeling the delicious liquid slither down her throat. She swished the dark red substance around in her glass, uncertain what exactly was in it but she had been assured by Dick that it was fine to consume.

She giggled to herself, recalling how strange it had been to use their ' _incognito_ ' names the first time around. Of course, it had been a very long time since then but it still felt like a game; hiding themselves in plain sight amongst regular people.

Kory tilted her head at that. They were far from ' _regular_ ' people, she supposed. Most of them were in some form of business or riches, practically throwing money away every weekend on senseless things, just because they could. The people around her were high in their ranks in comparison to their peers; not to be confused with the working class, out on the streets of Gotham, struggling to make ends meet.

Dick had referred to them as snooty billionaires who spent their lives gallivanting with their wealth and treating anyone who was not at the same materialistic level as they were, as insignificant.

She got the impression, through the years that her love was not very fond of the people that his k'norfka spent his free time with. It was reassuring that not everyone could be swayed by money, however. She saw it in Bruce; he had wealth and success and despite throwing these events on a regular basis, they were always for some type of good cause.

 _That_ was the definition of putting wealth to good use. Or at least, she thought so.

Glancing around, Kory peered past the crowds of people, unconsciously searching for her friends. She could see Vic, standing by the snack table, robbing them of the hors d'oeuvres spread out for guests to help themselves to. She grinned to herself as she saw him sneaking vegetables from the crudite platter and pork tenderloin crostini from another plate.

Kory couldn't help but wonder just how many he had stuffed in his mouth during the evening. She shook her head and turned away, spying Rachel and Garfield, standing over by the balcony that led out into the chilly night.

She smiled sweetly at the pair. From where she was standing, she could see Gar removing his jacket and gently placing it around her best friend's shoulders, to protect her from the cold. Rachel blushed a lotus pink but smiled softly and bestowed a kiss to his cheek.

He looked surprised but beamed back at her, carefully twirling a loose ebony strand that had fallen from her delicate bun, framing her face.

Kory could not get past how beautiful Raven looked tonight, especially after the demoness had practically fought tooth and nail, vowing she wasn't going to wear any kind of ballgown to this event. It had taken a lot of coaxing and reassurance from Garfield that she would look absolutely gorgeous, but it was clearly worth it.

The midnight blue wrapped around her figure like a second skin; tasteful and elegant as the sash like strap hung over one shoulder. The material was lace like in touch and looked so ethereal. She was a vision and Gar had been staring at her all night long.

Kory hummed and sought out her own boyfriend with her emerald gaze, narrowing them to see better as more people filled the space around her, making it more difficult to locate anyone. She tapped her fingertips against the edge of her glass as she continued to look around.

Finally, her heart fluttered and a heat rose to her cheeks as her watchful eyes fell upon him. He looked very handsome in his crisp tux which was almost as black as his hair, something else that was altered. Rather than his usual spikes, he had it slicked back, with a few loose pieces sticking out, giving him a true boyish charm.

Kory bit her lower lip as she watched him, hands in his pockets but standing tall as he mingled with his adopted father's friends and acquaintances, despite his aura screaming he would rather be anywhere else but where he was.

She focused on his bowtie, trying her best not to burst into giggles as she considered how adorable it was on him. Kory had to admit he was ruggedly handsome and despite what most people said about them as a couple, _she_ felt like the lucky one more often than not.

Of course, Dick himself would disagree with that.

Ironically, he probably enjoyed these evenings the least out of the five of them but, that could be down to just how many he had to attend in his childhood, having to fake his interest in these people around him.

He was dutiful of course, smiling for pictures and speaking with all those who approached him, exchanging pleasantries and holding conversation enough so that he didn't come off as rude.

Bruce stood alongside him, nodding and smiling at the men and women talking to them and Kory had to wonder if he was also like Dick; barely interested and just trying to get through the night.

All her staring had clearly not gone unnoticed. Dick paused and turned his head, catching her eye and grinning at her from across the room. He looked like he wanted to come over to her more than anything but, the man in front of him kept dragging him back into conversation; one of which, she was certain, Dick had zero curiosity in.

He sighed and snuck in another glance at her, his cobalt gaze roaming over her figure; something he had been doing for the majority of the night.

Every time she had looked at him, he had been gawking at her and been most unapologetic about it; a side of him, she absolutely adored.

She wore a fitted lilac evening dress, with tiny shimmers laced into the fabric, which shone in the perfect light. The dress was long, brushing against the wood flooring and moving with precision when Kory shifted around.

The tulle skirt was layered and ruffled, giving just the right amount of depth without her looking like a cake topper. The band around her waist was close fitting, accentuating the curvy figure that Kory possessed, which had made more than a few men in the vicinity look her way, with them being instantly deterred by the look on Dick's face.

On her torso, the design was a plunging neckline that revealed just a hint of cleavage and breast but not enough to look cheap and vulgar. The straps were thin, sitting on her shoulders comfortably.

The part of her gown that had _really_ made Dick drool was the back, showed off by the fact her hair had been delicately curled and clipped to the side, draped over her shoulder. Tan skin was completely on display, all the way down to her rear, with the straps criss crossing for design purposes but mostly, it left little to the imagination.

He had murmured plenty of things to her about how she looked on the drive to the venue; things that made her face burn, even now.

They had been together for almost 2 years, ever since they had returned from Tokyo and it had been blissful. She loved having his attention and being the pinnacle of his affections, with him becoming more and more open with his love as the months went by.

Kory and Dick, however, had been together for approximately 6 months, if her mind recalled their cover story correctly.

She giggled and wriggled her fingers at him, before blowing him a very deliberate kiss. His cheeks grew rosy and he narrowed his eyes at her, scrunching his expression up to show his playful nature.

She looked away when the man before him, thumped a hand down on Dick's shoulder, drawing his attention back to him. Kory smiled and shook her head, taking a breath and spinning around.

Deciding to top up her drink, she headed for the long white table, lined with punch bowls full of fruity liquids and liquors that were sharp, tangy and not for the faint of heart.

Kory hummed quietly to herself as she reached for the ladle in one bowl, scooping up several units of the berry tasting drink she had been sipping away at for practically the whole night.

Just as she finished and prepared to quench her thirst, a short, slim woman sidled up next to her, dressed in a long, form fitting black dress that ended at her knees. Her strawberry blonde hair was wavy with some of it pinned up and out of her face.

"Your dress is simply fabulous, I have to say." She commented, causing Kory to turn towards her,

She was smiling endearingly, a light dancing in her crystal blue eyes as she clearly wanted to chat with Kory.

"Oh! Thank you… it is… a favourite among my dresses." Kory stammered slightly, remembering that Dick had advised them to act like they were part of the 'money society' if approached.

"I can see why… it suits you wonderfully. Was it made here in Gotham or elsewhere in America?"

Kory paused but continued to smile at the woman, "I believe it was made in Paris, France."

"I see… how very _vogue_." The woman drawled, laughing at her own phrasing and gently swatting Kory's hand as if they were long time friends,

Whilst not really understanding what was funny about what she had said, Kory forced a fake laugh from her throat and prepared herself for some conversation.

"I only ask as I hear a slight twang of an accent there… did you grow up here in America or across the waters, if you don't mind me asking?" She queried, flipping her shoulder length hair down her back as she leaned closer towards Kory,

The disguised Princess froze for a moment. She was well versed in the 'Kory' background and history that they had come up with since she had long been a fixture in Dick Grayson's life but usually, it was her love who casually introduced her, simultaneously explaining key points of her life.

He did it with ease and grace and whilst she knew she was capable of doing it without him, she _did_ wish he was around right now to help her find her bearings.

"I grew up in a small island off the coast of Spain, actually but my family moved here when I was 15 years old."

"Oh wow. I bet the weather here in Gotham really makes you miss Spain then, huh?"

Kory nodded, "Oh yes… the tropical climate is… a lifetime ago compared to Gotham's weather patterns which are… most unpredictable."

"That's Gotham for you." She paused and took a step closer, something glinting in her eyes, "So, when did you meet Dick Grayson, then?"

Faltering, Kory's fingers tightened around the glass in her hand and her heart started to thud; a sense of danger building in her chest. Kory narrowed her eyes a little but halted on acting out of sorts since this woman had not yet asked anything too personal or intimate,

"Apologies… what did you say your name was?" Kory asked, her tone polite.

The woman rolled her eyes and waved her hand, like she had a clumsy memory, "Oh! I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached to my shoulders." She stopped and offered her hand, "I'm Vicki Vale, editor for the Gotham Gazette."

Kory's face briefly morphed into a look of panic but she corrected herself before Vicki could notice. She nodded and smiled, shaking the reporter by the hand.

There were sudden alarm bells ringing in Kory's head, unsure if it was wise for her to be speaking, just in case she said something out of turn and Miss Vale decided to twist it and take it out of context; something that Dick warned Gotham paparazzi did like clockwork.

"Oh… it is nice to meet you." Kory murmured,

"And you, lovely, are Kory Anders, aren't you?" She drawled, placing her fingers to her cheek, "I think most of Gotham's papers are as smitten with you as Dick Grayson is."

Kory puffed out a laugh, suddenly nervous and second guessing every word that came out of her mouth, "You are… too kind."

"So… where _did_ the two of you meet?" Vicki pestered, looking like she was ready for the next scoop to dish out in an article that would make the front page within a day.

"I believed it was already common knowledge that we met at the boarding school we both attended in Switzerland." Kory replied, trying her best to keep her tone light and carefree, although she wasn't sure how well she was doing in that.

"Oh, it is. But, you can never trust other reporters. It's so much better to learn it from someone, yourself." Vicki explained,

"I understand. You would not want to misprint anything that was not true." Kory pointed out, watching her carefully.

Vicki seemed to pause at that before she chortled and placed a hand on her hip, "Exactly. So, tell me, how long have you been dating Dick Grayson?"

"I believe it will be a year in May." Kory responded, keeping her answers clipped and trying not to give anything away that hadn't already been told to paparazzi and reporters.

Her eyes shifted, trying to spot Dick in the clusters of people, in the hopes he would be able to give her a reprieve from the questions.

"Aw, a Spring anniversary… that's so sweet." Vicki commented, placing a hand on her chest, right where her heart was, "I'm just a classic romantic. I can't help but love the idea of love."

"It is a… wondrous feeling." Kory said, trying to stall and misdirect the reporter standing before her,

"So…" Vicki droned, her tone shifting slightly, "Tell me… what was it that drew you to Dick Grayson exactly?"

"He is… unlike any boy I have ever met." Kory told her, evasively sensing unknown territory and being scared she would say something she regretted,

"I'm sure he is, I'm sure he is…" Vicki nodded before she smirked, "And… I don't suppose his inheritance is a factor at all."

Kory stopped short and turned her head back to Vicki, abandoning all pretense of looking for Dick amongst the haystack of guests. Her face dropped and her skin prickled with an unfamiliar emotion at that particular question.

A sinking feeling of dread started to settle in the pit of her stomach as she narrowed her hunter green eyes, "Excuse me?" Kory said, utter disbelief drenching her words,

"Speaking girl to girl… he obviously has a lot going for him and any girl he wanted to date would benefit greatly from the luxuries around him, don't you think?" Vicki shrugged, as if her assumptions were completely normal things to say.

"I do not think… I understand what you are implying." Kory breathed, trying to remain poised and knowing exactly what Vicki was trying to insinuate.

"I'm just saying that… there might be more that drew you to him other than just him being a sweet boy, right?"

Kory blinked at Vicki, silently stunned at her audacity to be so presumptuous, without knowing anything about her or the relationship shared between her and Dick.

"There are many factors into why I started a relationship with Dick but his money was not one of them. I can assure you of that." Kory defended, anger starting to bubble in her veins so much so she balled her hand into a fist at her side,

"I'm sure it wasn't, dear!" Vick stated, waving a hand but her coy smile remained in place, "But, all I'm saying is… it wouldn't hurt that he has it."

Kory's eye twitched and she opened her mouth to tell this reporter exactly what she thought of her arrogant series of questions until a soft, familiar hand on her waist stalled her from doing so.

She clamped her mouth shut and swiveled her head around to look at Dick who had found his place at her side, pulling her into his personal space. She pressed a palm to his chest, deeply inhaling his scent; something about him that always seemed to set her mind at ease, a feeling of safety following immediately after.

Kory breathed out, glancing up into his face as he looked at Vicki with a knowing expression,

"Antagonising my girlfriend, are we, Vicki?" He suspected, quirking an eyebrow,

Vicki made a high pitched giggle and rolled her shoulders, as if she had done nothing of the sort, "Of course not, Dick. I was just getting to know your lovely Kory."

"Uh huh and I'm sure there was nothing said that might've come off as insulting, right?"

"Me? Never!" She dismissed, smiling brightly,

Kory remained silent and she felt him tap his fingers against her hip in a code like manner, checking to see if she was okay. In response, she tapped his shoulder twice, signalling that she had been… managing.

"Right… and what kinds of things were you asking her about?"

"Oh, you know that answer, already. Why, you, of course." Vicki said, flippantly, "You've grown from a small boy into a handsome young man and I just wanted to learn more about the woman who I assume has had a hand in that."

"She's actually the one who has shaped me into a better person, as a matter of fact. Kory has played a huge part in helping me mature since I left Gotham all those years ago. Spending those years at school, with her by my side… it really helps you know the true intentions of a person, despite others trying to drag it down." He told her, pointedly.

Vicki paled slightly, clearly being caught out in what she had been trying to accomplish during her alone time with the redheaded beauty. Kory smothered a smirk and cuddled in closer to Dick, feeling the tension caused by the reporter beginning to seep away, just because of Dick's presence alone.

"That's… good to know." Vicki stammered, awkwardly shifting on the spot.

"That's something you can print, by the way, Vicki. As… I'm sure something from tonight will make it into an article of yours." He continued, smiling as if he was blase to what she had been saying to his lady.

"Ha... I will… be sure to whip something up, Dick." Vicki returned, her tone a little bitter than before.

"Vicki. Why am I not surprised to see you with my son and his beautiful girlfriend?" Bruce said, as he strolled up to the three of them,

Vicki smirked and turned her head towards him, "Well, hello Bruce. Fancy seeing you here."

"At my charity gala? Yes, what a small world." He teased,

Vicki's posture altered, becoming almost flirty and Kory found herself wanting to escape the awkwardness she suddenly felt from it,

"Oh Bruce… you are such a charmer. But, you already know that." She purred,

Bruce chuckled and extended his arm to her, "What's say we let these two enjoy their evening and we can catch up over a dance?"

"Well, I can never say no to you there, Bruce." Vicki laughed, fluttering her eyelashes as she accepted Bruce's arm and sauntered towards the main floor, with him in tow.

Bruce glanced over his shoulder and nodded to Dick and Kory, as if confirming he would keep Vicki away from them. Dick mouthed his thanks to his adopted father and sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck once the pair were out of sight.

"Are you okay?" Dick murmured, both hands going to her hips,

"I am now." Kory replied, letting go of a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding,

"Yeah, it looked a little like you needed saving."

She smiled, "And who better to save me, then you?"

"My thoughts exactly." Dick chuckled, "Shall we dance to get your mind off of it?"

Kory nodded and laced her fingers with his, allowing him to direct her towards the dance floor, "That sounds… like a glorious idea."

The couple threaded through the gaps between the crowds of drunkards and socialites, ignoring the rambunctious gossip that ricocheted around the room as they moved.

Soon enough, they found themselves amongst many pairs and couples on the dancefloor, just in time as a slower tune dominated the speakers at the back of the ballroom.

Dick smiled softly at his girl, slipping his hands around her waist, his fingers brushing against the hot skin of her back, dipping beneath the thin strappy design, simply to get a touch. He pulled her close, so that his chest very nearly grazed hers.

Kory's arms slinked up his chest and loosely hung around his shoulder, gently toying with the tufts of ebony hair at the nape of his neck whilst he started to sway their bodies from side to side, slowly and with purpose.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to her jaw before he reared back and tilted his head, "So… what _was_ she saying to you?"

Kory shrugged her shoulders, glancing off to the side, feeling effectively downtrodden which was disheartening considering her night was going otherwise very well, "Different things. It does not matter."

"It matters if what she said hurt you." He told her, his eyes fierce with protection,

She sighed and eyed his bowtie, refusing to look directly at him, "She was asking simple questions at first but… soon moved on to querying my intentions… implying that the only reason I was in a relationship with you was on account of your wealth from Bruce."

Dick snorted, "I'm not surprised. Bruce has had a few women on his arm in the past who get asked the same types of things by reporters. Vicki is one that tends to slip through the cracks, considering her and Bruce share some… history."

"Why would she ask those things?"

"To bait you into an explosive reaction."

Kory frowned, "Bait me?"

"It's a bit of a tactic. Throw out some implied things and wait for the person to rise to it and explode, causing drama and thus, giving a reporter something to write about in their articles."

Nodding, Kory lowered her chin, "Oh."

Dick inclined his head, rubbing his nose against hers, "Hey… you alright?"

"Mhm."

"Kory…" He whispered, bringing his face closer to hers, peppering small kisses against her cheek, "C'mon… talk to me."

"It is just… difficult, hearing such assumptions made about you. That woman does not know anything about me and yet, she claimed things that were not even the slightest bit true."

"Which we know." He countered, levelling his gaze with hers, "Star… I could care less what any reporter here or in Jump says about you… either of you."

She gave him a ghost of a smile at that but it faded just as quickly as it had come, "There is just… always someone waiting to comment… it is frustrating sometimes."

He nodded and pulled her hips against his, pressing her along his body, "I know… but, at the end of the day… we know the truth about our relationship as Dick and Kory and as… our _other_ selves. We don't need to listen to what other people say. They don't know anything about us, Star." He stroked his thumb against her back, "Besides… the things they say are ridiculous anyway."

She smirked, "Oh? You are not worried that I am secretly after your wealth?"

Dick chuckled, "I mean, if that's what you're after… you're doing a pretty good job at hiding it."

Kory winked, feeling a little more reassured, "Ah, so my plan _is_ working."

He grinned at her and squeezed her hips, "I love you, Star… and don't ever let anyone like Vicki make you think otherwise."

She tilted her head and smiled lovingly, reaching both hands up towards him, she cupped his face and pressed her lips to his. Dick kissed her back immediately, uncaring for how it looked to others around them or even if it seemed inappropriate. She was his and he was hers and they knew the ins and outs of their relationship, better than anyone in the entire universe.

His hands slipped to her backside, giving her a delicious squeeze which made her jolt in surprise, "Dick!" She whispered, blushing as she pulled her head back,

"What? I'm just making it clear who I want in this room." He murmured before he leaned in and captured her lips once more, one hand trailing up her body to cup the base of her skull, tethering her to him.

Dick was pretty sure there were camera flashes going on around them, the reporters in the room thrashing around for their cameras to get a good shot but he didn't care. The only flashes he saw were the ones that exploded in his head, whenever Kory kissed him like this.

He'd pull away soon or he'd get an earful from Bruce but… for right now, he decided to indulge in his affections, just a little bit.


	6. Wedding Bells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Okay so posting late because I was at work all day and I'm super tired again so this one is short and sweet and is fairly a simple idea.
> 
> It's obvs post Tokyo and by quite a bit, since I made Robin, Nightwing.
> 
> Hope you guys like it though. Will edit it tomorrow when I'm not literally about to pass out.

**Day 6 - Wedding Bells**

Clouds thinned overhead as the day began its descent into slumber, the sky full of light blue and golden splashes of colour. Dusk was starting to smother the city, the sun on a countdown to lower beyond the horizon; the perfect time of day, for some people.

The warmth was tantalizing, the heat so enveloping that it made skin tingle with pleasure at the sensation of its rapidly fading rays. The Summer caused a state of bliss for every citizen in Jump, like everyone was caught in a sunny haze with nothing but happy smiles and kind gestures all around.

Aromas of barbeques and fruit clung to the air, swirling and invading the senses of anyone walking along the streets. As the darkness started to seep in, just a little, the bulbs of the street lights dotted along the sidewalks, flickering several times before illuminating the glass sanctuary it was placed within.

The scent of sand was palpable and the closer they got to the beach, the more intense it became. It smelled of the baking heat which contrasted greatly with the ocean fragrance; salty yet fresh and irrevocably enchanting to passersby.

It was easy to stop and gaze at the water, gushing and trickling over the pebbles embedded in the sand granules. The frothy edges soaked up, onto the sand, pausing to indulge before the tide reclaimed itself and receded back.

The waves piled over one another, like each and every one was fighting for the front spot, to be the section of water that humans dipped their toes in.

Starfire hummed happily to herself as she leaned into her boyfriend's back, her arms tightening around his middle. The wind was refreshing; the sun shining and licking her skin, recharging her energy as Nightwing steered left, making a turn on the bike and speeding up to encourage a thrill to spark their nerves.

She grinned and lightly wacked his stomach, narrowing her eyes at him through the dark visor of her helmet, "Do _not_ do that." She muttered, the mic in the bubble around her head picking up her playful tone.

Dick's cheeky chuckle rang clear through her earpiece and he relaxed his shoulder, gently pushing back into her, "I thought you like speed, Star?"

"Mhm but not like you…" She replied, "What is the term Cyborg has used for you in the past… you are a speed demon…"

She could hear the grin in his voice, "You say it like it's a _bad_ thing."

Starfire giggled and pressed herself firmly against his back, allowing him to feel every line and curve of her body, "Can you still drive fast with… distractions, my love?"

He sputtered and she noticed his grip on the handlebars get tighter, "That's… so not fair."

She smiled and shook her head, resting her forehead against the top of his spine, dipping into a teasing silence as he continued towards their destination for the evening.

Turning her head, she watched the splatters of tangerine, mingle with the amber streaks leaking across the sky; the sparkle of light that was the sun, slowly coming down towards the edge of the world.

She hoped that they would not miss the sunset; a main point for why they were out during this specific time. Sunset was their favourite time of day; a prelude to waving goodbye to the day and awaiting the next like a gift from the heavens.

Serenity was consuming her as she took a deep, content breath. Her long auburn locks flowed in the breeze like rouge pieces of ribbon, dancing and twirling with nature as their audience and the air as the stage.

It was already a flawless Summer evening and they hadn't even reached the beach yet for their 5 year anniversary picnic which was packed up tight in one of the saddle bags hanging on the side of the vehicle.

She clasped her fingers together where they rested over her love's heart, feeling the thumps beneath her palm.

Smiling, she rubbed circles against his covered skin with her thumb, wondering how long she could do it before Dick reacted.

She did not have to wait long.

"You know, you're definitely more affectionate when our anniversary comes around." He murmured, causing her to roll her eyes,

"I am _always_ affectionate. My people thrive on touch of their loved ones and you, Dick, are my favourite thing to touch." She whispered, hoping her sultry tone was clear in the frequency,

She grinned as she felt his heartbeat pick up the pace and he released one of the handlebars whilst he cruised a long straight line of road. He reached back and briefly squeezed her thigh; bare beneath the baby blue summer dress she wore.

" _That_ is very good to know. It goes without saying you're my favourite too."

"I feel most special, considering you only _ever_ show affectionate touch to me."

Dick chuckled, "What can I say? You are my favourite."

Starfire giggled and lifted her head as they drew up to a parking lot that was just a short walk away from the beach where they were planning to have their picnic dinner. It was practically empty now, with only a few joggers and surfers walking along the shoreline.

Nightwing slowed, with just the rumbling of the engine being audible as he pulled into an open space. They grinded to a halt and Nightwing leaned away from her seeking fingers to turn the key in the ignition, shutting it off.

The bike shuddered and sank into silence, the lingering heat from the puffs of smoke wafting from the exhaust stroking Starfire's calf as she remained seated on the bike.

Her boyfriend, on the other hand, dismounted the vehicle and removed his helmet, smiling down at her and extending his hand, wordlessly requesting her head gear as well.

Starfire lifted it off and exhaled noisily, handing it over for it to be placed in the compartment beneath the main seat. She dragged a hand through her ruby tresses and fixed her bangs, shaking her head to rid herself of any kind of helmet hair.

Dick stood back and brushed his hands together, "Okay. Those are safely stored." He paused as she started to shift and get up, "Wait."

"Wha-" She was cut off as he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss; sweet and innocent, a greeting of sorts.

He released her but didn't pull back too far, keeping his face just an inch or so away from hers, smirking at the dazed look on her face, clearly not expecting a kiss.

"Oh." She giggled, "That was nice."

"Just _nice_?"

Starfire grinned and floated up and off of the bike, planting her feet back on the ground once she had smoothed her dress out to free the material from any crinkles, "I do not want to inflate your ego _too_ much, beloved."

He huffed but his expression told her that he didn't take it seriously. He dragged a hand through his own onyx locks, as dark as the night and ruggedly disheveled since he'd let it grow longer after becoming Nightwing.

The spikes had been gone for a while and Starfire definitely couldn't complain about the style he had opted for instead.

"Okay… let me grab the food and we'll find a spot near the water…" Dick mumbled, crouching down and unstrapping the leather bag to dig around for what they had prepared.

Starfire smiled brightly and placed her hands behind her back, patiently waiting for him to retrieve their snacks. They would likely grab a more hefty dinner later, on their way home and enjoy it in the comfort of the main room or their bedroom whilst snuggling to a lighthearted movie.

She glanced upwards, watching the assortment of cloud shapes passing through the atmosphere. She blinked at a tiny blue bird that soared above her head and spun and flew in circles, carefree and living its life to the fullest; basking in the afternoon light.

Beaming, Starfire watched as it turned and glided across the street, letting the breeze carry it in any direction. Curiosity gnawed at her and she wandered away from where Dick was still searching for their things.

She blinked in surprise as the bird led her down the street, along the line of neat shops and bustling restaurants. Starfire narrowed her eyes, wondering where on Earth the tiny creature was trying to go.

It twisted in the air, spreading its wings and zipped along, taking her down a quiet sidewalk, leading away from the excitement of the main street, just next to the sandy beach.

Starfire tilted her head and glanced around, "Where are we going, little one?"

As the Princess made her way down the sidewalk, she spotted the tiny bird. It swooped down into the greenery of a nearby tree and when Starfire peered closer, she noticed some baby birds, chirping at the return of their apparent mother.

She smiled and clasped her hands together, "Oh… you wished to get back to your babies…"

Starfire hummed and half turned, intending to make her way back to Nightwing who had probably noticed her absence and was in the process of having a heart attack.

Just as she took a step back in the direction she had come, something caught her attention.

Bells chimed and rang aloud, the reverberations of the clanging echoing between the trees. It was melodic; something joyful about the sounds. It seemed to be in the distance, so with her inquisitive mind in full control, Starfire continued her walk down the quiet street.

She followed the bells, the pitch getting louder, the closer she got to the source. As she came closer to reaching her goal, she could hear cheers and sounds of elation as well as clapping from the same area as the bells.

Finally, she approached a small white church, surrounded by a quaint cemetery where people had laid their loved ones to rest. It looked well looked after, with fresh flowers on practically every single grave.

There was a cross on the apex of the black roof and Starfire had to wonder if it _was_ actually a church or perhaps a chapel.

An old stone wall ran around the perimeter of the space, separating it as the holy place of the area. Starfire blinked in surprise and scurried over to the rust red wall, folding her arms on the top of the wall and peeking over the top to see what was going on.

She watched as a young couple ambled out from the entrance of the church; with the man wearing an extremely dapper tux that looked tailored to him specifically. His hand was wrapped around a woman's, who was dressed in a beautiful halter gown, in the purest shade of white.

Gripping a bouquet of white lilies, the woman was a picture of gleeful as it was clear, her dream day was today.

Starfire sank into her arms, smiling dreamily at the sight unfolding before her.

It was very obvious that the pair had just gotten married and were now being celebrated by their friends and families as they exited the church. Starfire had seen more than enough Earth movies to know that.

She sighed and watched; entranced by all the glowing faces and laughter that seemed to permeate the world around them.

Starfire had always found Earth weddings so beautiful. To know that they married for love on this planet had been something so foreign to her initially but as time wore on, it made sense to marry because you wanted to spend eternity with someone who knows you better than anyone else in the world.

On Tamaran, it was much more common to hear of arranged marriages; either for peace and treaty reasons or simply because families had agreed on terms between themselves.

Things on her homeworld where love was concerned were a lot more difficult to live by. Even if she had fallen in love with someone on Tamaran, if they had not been a prince or someone of nobility, there would not have been even the slightest chance of marrying them.

But, Earth weddings were something that constantly captivated her, right down to all the tiny details, decorations and traditions.

Starfire eyed the couple as they kissed and held each other, wrapped up in one another like they were the only two beings to exist in the world in that moment.

Hands reached for her waist and gripped her firmly, making her heart race at first, before she realized who had located her. She took a breath and her shoulders sagged, turning to find the concerned face of her boyfriend,

"Dick… you frightened me for a moment." She exhaled, touching her chest with one hand,

He gave her a reproachful expression, "Me? You disappeared without a word and I had no idea where you went."

Starfire smiled apologetically and leaned in to kiss his cheek, "I am sorry. I was following a tiny bird to see where it lived and then I heard the wedding bells and…" She looked out across the green of the church, smiling, "Here we are."

Nightwing followed her line of sight, seeing the love shared between the couple as they kissed and enjoyed their newfound newlywed status, the bells continuing to chime in harmony with their movements.

He softened and smiled calmly, "Okay… just a little warning next time." Dick murmured, kissing the shell of her ear before she turned and used one arm to lean against the wall, looking out at the romantic scene before them.

"Is it not just so sweet, my love?"

In response, Dick smiled at the guest who were throwing rice over the couple and sharing in their happiness, an overall joyous atmosphere, spreading throughout the area.

"It's beautiful, Star…" He agreed, nodding his head but paused and quirked a brow at her, "Is… that something you think you would want one day?"

They had briefly touched on the subject of marriage and kids in previous conversations but they had always been interrupted or not too serious.

"Mmm I believe I would. Marriage has always been an important thing in my mind but I would have never had the option to marry for love back on Tamaran so… now that I live here and I have found the person I feel I wish to be with for the rest of my life, I believe I would very much so like to be married one day…" She explained, her eyes full of passion and tranquility as she spoke about her thoughts on it,

Nightwing nodded and shrugged, "I suppose marrying on Earth would be a very different experience to marrying on Tamaran."

"It is certainly more appealing than marrying on my world…" She giggled and turned to face him, "But, we shall not find out for a long time. I will be relying on you to do the proposing and I know that you like to take your time with things such as that."

"Yeaaah… uh… marriage still kinda freaks me out… so, you might want to hold off on the excitement." Dick chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Starfire smiled, completely understanding that and pecked him on the lips.

Dick cleared his throat and jerked his chin back in the direction of which they'd came, "C'mon, let's get going so we can have our picnic before the sun's gone down."

"Of course." Starfire punctuated, taking one last look at the wedding ceremony where they were now taking photographs together before she spun away and began trudging her way back up towards the beach,

Nightwing watched her go, his expression one of deep consideration as he slowly glanced back at the church, bustling with happiness. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and slid a small velvet box out, turning it over in the palm of his hand.

He popped the lid open, revealing a simple yet breathtaking diamond engagement ring, reflecting the dying light off of its crystalized surface. He stared at it, his stomach a fluttering mess; finally mustering the guts to do this after weeks of prepping for it.

Dick grinned to himself and let the lid snap shut, placing it back into his pocket as he turned to follow after his girlfriend and he hoped, in approximately an hour or so, he would be calling her his fiancee.

He had a feeling the odds were in his favour on this one.


	7. Constellations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Tis the last day of RobStar week and what a week it was! I've seen so much beautiful artwork and read a number of lush fics. I think Ima probably soak in the robstar tag next week and revel in the goodness that has piled up in it.
> 
> This last oneshot was fairly short in comparison to the others I have written this week but constellations is a prompt that I feel fairly constricted with and also... like... for the dickkory zine, my oneshot revolved around the same thing so I didn't wanna repeat myself since that oneshot is solely for the zine... you know?
> 
> This is post-tokyo and hopefully y'all like it cos I found it fun and fluffy to write!
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed RobStar week! Let's smash it again next year, buds.

**Day 7 - Constellations**

Indigo streaks blurred into onyx, blanketing the sky with a night time canvas, ready for spectacles to dance across the world. It was free of any clouds or dark smudges, threatening to obstruct the gorgeous view of the universe above.

Stars aligned the sky, all unique in their own ways and clustering together like a celestial family. They appeared as tiny glittering dots; a maze of beautiful phenomena that forever caused fascination in every walk of life.

A crescent moon hung at the center, like the matriarch of the night, looking down at the world and acting as a beacon of light for those lost to the darkness.

"Okay… here is the next one…" Starfire murmured, straightening up as she prepared to draw,

She sat behind Robin on the roof of the tower and glanced up at the sky, her eyes scanning the stars in search of her options. Biting her lower lip, Starfire lifted her hand and used her index finger to begin drawing a constellation that appeared above their heads.

Poking her finger against his back, she moved her hand in multiple directions, grinning as she got further into her imaginary drawing.

Robin smirked to himself and raised an eyebrow, trying to concentrate on what she was doing, in order to guess correctly. It was a fun little game of theirs, to draw constellations against each other's backs and guess what it was.

The competitive nature that was constantly present in Robin's personality drove him to try exceptionally with this game, considering Starfire was the reigning champion of it.

"And… done. Which do you think it was?" She giggled, leaning around his shoulder to look at him,

He stared at her, the brightness in her jade eyes causing a flutter in his heart and he grinned, "Hm… is it up there right now?"

"Yes."

Robin tilted his head skyward and narrowed his eyes, surveying the litter of stars glowing up above them. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying to work it out strategically, more so than recalling the pattern she had drawn against his cape.

He tried his best to imagine what constellation Starfire would have chosen and after a long moment, he smirked at her, "I think… _Cassiopeia_?"

The Princess burst into a fit of adorable giggles and shuffled backwards, allowing enough space for him to turn and face her. She shook her head at him, her long auburn hair trickling over her shoulders.

"You are incorrect, my love."

He pouted and his shoulders dropped, "Aw, what?" He paused, "Which one was it?"

She smiled teasingly, "It was _Cygnus_."

Robin dragged a hand over his face and groaned, " _How_ did I not get that? They're not even remotely similar."

"No, they are not." Starfire taunted, her eyes glinting mischievously,

"Alright, alright… that's what… 3 points to you and 1 to me?" He sighed, not terribly put out by losing to his girlfriend, since her joy over it was extremely worth it.

"Actually… it is 4 points to me." Starfire reminded him, "You are forgetting _Lyra_."

Robin blinked and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Oh yeah. You know, I feel like you have a definite unfair advantage in this game."

Starfire opened her mouth, laughing as she made a move to protest that, "How so?"

"Well… uh… you're from space! Definitely an advantage." Robin teased, nodding his head as if completely believing his words,

The Tamaranean shook her head and smiled, "Mhm… or perhaps I am simply better at this game then you are?"

Her teasing tone made Robin chuckle. He eyed her carefully and nodded, "Maybe so… turn around. Let's see if you can get 5 points."

"I believe I can." She boasted, swiveling around so one leg was folded under her thigh and the other was dangling over the edge of the tower. She reached a hand back and scooped her hair away from her neck, bringing the mess of red hair away so she would be able to feel what he was drawing.

Robin peered up at the sky and was quick to spot a constellation that he thought would likely stump her due to its intricacy. He kept his gaze on the sky as he started to press his index finger against her back, making lines with purpose and focusing on what he was doing, trying to emulate the constellation as much as possible so it would be trickier for her to guess.

Starfire pressed her lips together and closed her eyes, honing in on the sensation against her back, "Hm…"

"Got any ideas yet?" He asked, feeling triumphant already,

"Mm… could you draw it again please?" She queried, half turning her head to look back at him,

He made a noise of agreement and repeated the lines against her back, sitting back as he finished. Robin leaned back against the palms of his hands which were placed behind him and grinned, smug.

"No more redos… ya gotta guess, Star." He chuckled,

Starfire hummed to herself in thought and turned around so she was facing him once more, "If I am not mistaken… I believe it is… _Ursa Major_."

Robin's jaw dropped and he bolted back to his upright position, "How do you _do_ that?" He yelped, laughing in surprise at how good she really was at guessing them,

"I am correct?" She grinned,

"You are. You win. You were first to 5." He muttered, running his fingers through his hair and exhaling noisily,

Clapping her hands together, Starfire giggled and looked pretty darn proud of herself as she crawled towards him until she was merely an inch away from him. She sat just in front of him, his knee brushing against hers, "I am victorious! I believe I am owed something for that…"

He chuckled and shifted, leaning forward and cupping her cheek with his hand. Slowly, he angled his chin and kissed her. Warmth spread between them, Starfire fighting not to smile as to stay in contact. She sighed in delight and sank into the gesture, pressing her lips a little more firmly against his.

Robin's hand found hers and he entangled theirs fingers, pulling her even closer than before. She couldn't help herself as she giggled and broke the kiss, resting her forehead against his.

His hot breath wafted against her chin and he grinned, the pink hue on his cheeks matching hers.

"I mean… I think I like this game because there's never _really_ a loser, if you think about it." Robin murmured,

"True… but this time… I am the winner." Starfire reminded him, smirking,

"Sheesh, and I thought _I_ was the competitive one in this relationship." He joked, making her smile.

"I do enjoy playing this constellation game of ours, Robin." Starfire admitted, sitting back from where they had been joined,

"Me too. But, in all seriousness, I don't understand _how_ you know the stars so well."

She smiled softly and her eyes focused on the celestial points they were talking about, "Well… when I was small, Galfore would sit with me in the royal gardens and he would teach me about the constellations and stars and the stories and legends behind them. Of course, the constellations seen from Tamaran are different to the ones above us currently."

"Figures… I suppose the Vega System has a bunch of different ones."

Starfire nodded, "There are… many, many more. It is hard to remember those ones." She paused and tilted her head, "When… when I was taken from my home and I spent my days on the Gordanians ship as a prisoner… I would look out of the tiny window in my cell and I would remind myself of which stars were what and where they were in the atmosphere. It helped me to understand where I was and how to get home to Tamaran but…"

"Once you entered our system… you were lost?"

"Yes… the stars are aligned differently in the Sol system but it is then that I gained the strength to break away… I could not follow the stars back to Tamaran for I was completely at a loss. That is when I simply escaped to the nearest planet… which happened to be Earth."

Robin shook his head in disbelief, "It's amazing that you'd use stars that way as it is… I can't believe you know Vega's constellations and ours as well. When did you learn all the ones you can see from Earth?"

"In the early years of our team… I spent most of my time out here at night. I could not sleep very well to begin with on account of… memories of captivity. I noticed the different formation of stars here and decided I would research them and learn more, in my efforts to become adjusted to my new life here…"

"Whoa…"

"I borrowed books from Raven and also made several trips to the Jump City Library to charter stars, in an attempt to better understand. I must admit, it was very worthwhile to learn." Starfire beamed,

Robin stared at her and smiled, "Do you… understand how awesome you are?"

"What?" She giggled,

"That's unreal that you learnt those things, Star. And, you did it by choice, without anyone mentioning it to you."

Starfire smiled, "I have always found stars fascinating… as well as other things in space…"

"It's the alien side of you… naturally drawn to outer space." Robin grinned,

She laughed, a high pitched silver sound and shook her head, "Perhaps you are right about that."

"In all seriousness though… that's incredible. I never even knew that you had interests like that."

"Well…" She trailed off, lacing her fingers with his again, "That is the good thing about spending time together… you learn things you did not before."

Robin smiled lovingly, watching her with an overwhelming sense of awe filling his heart. There were so many endearing traits of her personality and she did them all so effortlessly. She was simply so easy to love and Robin found himself wondering how he managed to snag a beautiful girl like her to date him and he wondered about it almost every day.

"I love you, Star." He whispered,

Her whole face lit up at those three little words, as it always did. It had taken a while after Tokyo for them to come to terms with their newfound relationship but it had worked well so far and it felt like the right choice, to become more after their kiss in Japan and it only seemed to be cemented in, more and more with every day they spent together.

Starfire found herself more in love with the boy wonder ever since they had returned from the land of the rising sun. He was looser and more relaxed, showing off the playful and casual side of him that she always knew was buried in there somewhere. She loved him the way he was but it was refreshing and reassuring to know that she brought positive traits out in him; ones that he was reluctant to show before.

"And I love you, Robin." She sighed, her eyes half lidded like in a dreamy state,

"Aaand… I still think you cheated." He ribbed,

The Princess mock gasped and released his hand completely, lightly whacking his arm and crossing her arms over her chest, "Take that back and admit, I am simply a champion of stars!"

"I don't know Star… what would the others think if I admitted that?" He grinned,

Starfire opened her mouth to retort around the bubbles of laughter that were slipping from her lips but was cut off by the squeaking sound of the roof door, opening up.

The couple turned their heads towards the noise, only to see Cyborg poking his head through the gap and grinning, "Well, hey lovebirds. Movie night is all set up if you're planning on joining us." He paused and raised his eyebrows, "Even Raven's out of her room and in the main room before you two."

Robin chuckled and pushed himself to his feet, brushing himself off before he offered a helping hand to his girlfriend. Starfire beamed and accepted his help immediately, allowing him to yank her to her feet as well.

"We're coming, Cy." Robin confirmed, turning towards their cybernetic friend.

The two of them headed for the door, hand in hand and brimming with joy as they left their game behind for the time being. The stars winked down at them, bidding farewell until the next night they would be out again, enjoying the masterpiece of a universe that surrounded them.


End file.
